No luggage on top of public transport vehicles: HC

 The Gujarat high court has asked the state government to implement the law by which a tour operator cannot carry luggage on the roof of a vehicle. The HC instructions for the authorities came on basis of a PIL. 
    The petitioner, Shankerlal Sharma, claimed that though there is specific law prohibiting public carriers to carry goods on the roof of the vehicle, tour operators continues to ply the buses in the city of Ahmedabad in clear violation of the rules. 
    Sharma claimed that the authorities do not take any action against such violators. The PIL cited Rule 128(9) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which states that the transporter can only provide luggage space at the rear side of the tourist vehicle and not on the roof. The PIL also highlighted that the Supreme Court has also restrained transporters from carrying luggage of passengers on the roof of the vehicles through a judgment delivered last year. The petitioner submitted that it is very dangerous to carry luggage on the roof of vehicle, since the same could cause an accident. 
    The PIL demanded immediate action on part of the authorities to stop this practice. The division bench of the HC asked the government to strictly follow traffic norms.