CJI recommends use of bicycles to court

"When one of our judges joined the International Court of Justice, his secretary called him up to ask him if he wanted a new bicycle or an old one to travel to court everyday."

Justice R.M. Lodha

The Supreme Court’s parking woes took centre stage on Wednesday with Chief Justice R.M. Lodha suggesting riding a cycle to court.

But Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar said doing so from far-flung places on a daily basis would be a tad difficult. “Then why can’t you reduce the number of cars? It will reduce pollution too,” Justice Lodha said.

“Everyday 900 cases are listed in the Supreme Court, 900 litigants come here, each in his own car,” Mr. Kumar complained. To this, the CJI chose to reply with an anecdote: “When one of our judges joined the International Court of Justice, his secretary called him up to ask him if he wanted a new bicycle or an old one to travel to court everyday.”

On Monday, Mr. Kumar admitted that the “Supreme Court is choked with vehicles, of lawyers, litigants and the media.”

“You must help. We want you to jog and not walk to resolve this urgent issue,” the CJI told the Solicitor-General.