Ahmedabad

The Gujarat High Court today fixed a speed limit of 50 kmph for public transport buses plying under Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city to curb accidents resulting from rash driving.

The division bench of acting Chief Justice Jayant Patel and Justice N V Anjariya was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Dhvanish Suthar regarding the increase in the number of accidents after BRTS, funded under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, was introduced.

The bench directed Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Jan Marg Limited, the company which runs BRTS to set the maximum speed limit for these buses at 50 kmph.

According to the petitioner, more than 50 accidents had occurred so far due to either over-speeding BRTS buses or because of private vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians using BRTS corridors.

Suthar’s lawyer Hardik Rao argued that there must be a speed limit of 50 kmph for the buses.

AMC had said in its affidavit last month that BRTS buses would comply with the 50 kmph speed limit. In view of the statement, the HC today passed a direction and disposed of the PIL.

PTI