Dehradun, July 4: The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday has sought explanation from senior transport officials for not complying with its earlier directions for improving traffic management and checking road accidents in the state.The court asked the transport secretary and the commissioner to personally appear and submit their response. According to a report published in Hindustan Times, the bench of Justice Rajiv Sharma directed the officials to appear in court on July 6.

The court has given 15 days-time to transport department officials to get the eyesight of all the drivers of the Uttarakhand State Transport Corporation and private transporters checked. It also asked the chief medical officers of all districts to depute special staff during nights to put a check on consumption of alcohol by drivers. In its verdict, the court said to take strict actions against drivers who will be found the influence of alcohol.

The court also pulled up the authorities for not being able to stop overloading of government and transport vehicles. Referring to the bus accident in Pauri, the court said that the loss of precious human lives could have been avoided. In its verdict, the court slammed authorities for being a mute spectator and not able to impose fine on overloaded buses. The Uttarakhand HC also observed that the owners of the private buses and the transport corporation officers should know the geographical condition of the state.

The bus accident in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttrakhand claimed 48 lives after a bus fell down a gorge on Sunday morning. The driver lost control near the Guen Bridge on Pipli-Bhaun motorway in Nainidanda block, On June 23, two army soldiers were killed Rudraprayag when their car skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 05, 2018 12:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).