Hearing a set of public interest petitions on stalled BRTS work, traffic congestion and illegal use of vehicle horns, the division bench noted that while a similar decision in Bhopal was implemented within nine days, Indore had managed to remove only one section of railing in nearly ten months. The court observed that such inaction had worsened traffic conditions on a critical city corridor.
An earlier hearing scheduled for December 16 had been deferred after the district collector and municipal commissioner sought exemption, citing SIR-related responsibilities and seeking time until February. On Wednesday, the bench rejected the justification, stating that civic works of public importance must continue alongside administrative exercises. Officials were directed to appear before the court at 2.30 pm the same day.
Complying with the order, Collector Shivam Verma, Municipal Commissioner Dilip Yadav and Traffic DCP Anand Kalandgi were present before the bench. The court recorded that partial removal of railings on one side had eased traffic from Bhanwarkua towards Vijay Nagar, but congestion persisted in the opposite direction due to incomplete work.
The petitioner, Rajlakshmi Foundation, flagged safety concerns arising from uneven patchwork and debris left on the road, especially for two-wheeler riders. It also suggested temporary dividers to prevent unsafe crossings. Officials cautioned against makeshift barriers, warning of accident risks, while the court suggested exploring the use of removed railings with proper indicators near bus stops.
The High Court directed the administration to ensure parallel progress on both BRTS work and SIR and submit a detailed status report by January 12.
