NT Reporter
Panaji
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the Transport Department to complete its survey on overcrowding in buses within two weeks and work with Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTC) to devise a plan to ease peak-hour traffic.
An Additional Government Advocate informed the court that the survey, intended to assess average passenger flow during peak hours, could not be completed due to Ganesh Chaturthi holidays and school closures.
The court said, “We expect the necessary survey to be carried out by the Department of Transport within a further period of two weeks. We also expect the officials of the Transport Department to have an interaction with Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited and work out a mechanism to ease the traffic during the peak hours. Both authorities are expected to act in public interest.”
The PIL, filed by Radhakrishna Vijay Salgaonkar, highlights rampant and life-threatening illegal over boarding of private buses, KTC buses, and Bal Rath buses on the Anjuna-Assagao-Mapusa route, especially during peak hours when students and senior citizens travel.
Acknowledging the seriousness, the court observed, “Radhakrishna Vijay Salgaonkar, a public-spirited citizen, has approached this Court in public interest litigation and we quite appreciate his concern. We can just imagine a situation where students and senior
citizens cram into buses, struggling to reach their schools, colleges, or urgent destinations.”
