The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a Public Interest Litigation petition seeking framing of guidelines for vehicles carrying iron rods and other protruding objects which pose a serious threat of accidents.
The petitioner, Save Life Foundation, told a Bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and J.S. Khehar that a large number of accidents and fatalities were caused by “vehicles that are stationary, or stalled on streets, highways and expressways; and vehicles transporting [protruding] iron rods, angles, pipes, poles and other construction materials.”For instance, when a truck carrying iron rods braked suddenly, the vehicle behind would be caught unawares, almost always resulting in a fatal accident to its occupants. “This problem gets aggravated further when the truck is left irresponsibly stalled on the road.” In the absence of legislation to regulate transportation of construction materials and curtail the dangers posed by stalled /stationary heavy vehicles, this court may frame guidelines under Article 142 of the Constitution mandating that transportation of iron/steel bars, construction rods, etc, is permissible only in covered trailers, the petitioner said.
