Nagpur: Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Friday, added the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as respondent into the plea challenging DCP’s (traffic) move to declare entire Sitabuldi Main Road as ‘no-parking zone’. While insisting that NMC has a key role to play in the ongoing litigation, the court asked it to reply by Tuesday, fixed as next date of hearing.
The court was hearing a ‘Sitabuldi Merchants’ Association’ petition through counsels Firdos Mirza and Tejas Deshpande — questioning the DCP’s powers to declare such no-parking zones, when the NMC is the authority. Quoting HC’s earlier orders in case filed by ‘Nagpur Feriwala Footpath Dukandar Sanghatna’, the petitioners pointed out that 10 meters of carriage way should be kept open for the public on every busy road.
According to the petitioners, the decision to ban parking on the busy Sitabuldi road is damaging the businesses of shopkeepers in the area. The traffic department has allotted parking at Manas Chowk on Morris College T-Point route which is around two kilometres from Sitabuldi market. They claimed that customers wouldn’t walk that much of distance to visit their shops eventually hurting their businesses.
According to the petitioners, Sitabuldi Main road is 18 meters wide and parking is allowed on both sides. They cited a HC’s judgment where the civic body was directed to provide parking space on both sides of the road by allowing 10 meters for the purpose.
