MP High Court Slams Indore Traffic Management

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore Bench has expressed dissatisfaction with the city's traffic management, citing rampant rule-breaking outside the court itself.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Sandeep Bhatt and Justice Gajendra Singh heard a petition on Indore's traffic problems and noted that despite claims of enforcement, the situation on the ground remained unchanged.

The court was responding to a petition that highlighted the city's traffic woes, with counsel for the petitioner arguing that traffic jams and violations were routine.

The state government submitted an affidavit stating that 660 CCTV cameras were operational at city intersections, and traffic personnel were deployed to manage traffic.

However, the petitioners disputed these claims, alleging that the administration was focused on drink-driving fines while overall traffic management remained poor.

The High Court questioned how vehicles with missing or illegal number plates and unauthorised hooters and sirens continued to ply on city roads, and observed that routine challans were failing to act as a deterrent.

The court also sought the administration's response on its policy governing the entry of heavy commercial vehicles into city limits during the day, citing Supreme Court directives restricting their daytime entry in major cities.

The State Government sought more time to file a detailed reply on the matter.

The issue of traffic management is crucial for Indore, which is expected to host the Simhastha 2028 festival, a major religious event that attracts millions of devotees.

Effective traffic management will be essential to ensure the smooth movement of people and vehicles during the festival.

The High Court's intervention is a significant step towards addressing the city's traffic problems, and the administration will need to take concrete steps to improve traffic management and enforcement.

The court's observations and directives will be closely watched, and the outcome is likely to have a significant impact on the city's traffic management systems.