New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response from Government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on a plea seeks reconsideration on the decision over withdrawal of DTC bus services to schools.
The PIL said that the withdrawal of the bus services will not just the parents but also students as well as every citizen of the Delhi as the decision impinges on the right to a clean environment, which is an implicit aspect of Article 21.
A Bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla has listed the matter for August 3 for further hearing.
Baba Alexander, the petitioner who is a native of Kerala and a resident of Delhi, mentioned in the plea said that the decision have impacted parents as well students largely. The plea further stated that the bus services to the schools are in practice for many years and there is lack of justified reason for discontinuing it.
The pleas stated that the decision will worsen the traffic congestion in the national capital. There are already reports that since unlock phase began in March 2022, the traffic situation in Delhi is even worse than what it was prior to Covid. The decision to withdraw bus services for schools will thereby increase vehicular pollution and make the air quality worse. It will also increase traffic woes and may result in a lot of time wastage in travelling, the plea said.
From the perspective of the safety of the child; the decision of DTC is one that causes anxiety to parents. The said decision will also increase the financial hardship of parents as they would have to pay more in the name of transportation charges during these precarious times when Covid-19 is still around us, plea added.
Appearing for petitioner Advocates Robin Raju, Deepa Joseph and Blessan Mathews submitted that the lack of profit or loss should not be taken as a valid ground for taking the decision to withdraw bus services to schools, as the Delhi Government is a public transport company and ultimately the objective of a state-run department should be to serve maximum citizens and improve it service in a periodic manner.
(With inputs from ANI)
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