Delhi HC abolishes all 13 traffic courts in city

New Delhi: All 13 traffic courts, which have a pendency of over 55,000 cases in the national capital, have been abolished by the Delhi high court with effect from Monday. These pending traffic rule violation cases would now be taken up as regular matters by regular magisterial courts. 

The decision was taken in view of several complaints from some of the magistrates posted in the traffic courts for a long time.

It is learnt that these magistrates had expressed their desire to be brought into the mainstream magisterial work and sought a change in their profile.

However, the official reason for the decision has been attributed to efforts to bring about more transparency in the judicial system and make traffic-related cases more litigant-friendly by shifting them to regular courts. All the traffic courts are located in the six districts courts of Delhi.

The registrar general of the Delhi high court, Dinesh Kumar Sharma, told reporters that Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal has decided to abolish these 13 courts to facilitate litigants and ease the rush due to which they were facing difficulties. “Cases of traffic challans were concentrated in one court per district which was causing delay in disposal of cases.

“Now, these cases will proceed in regular magisterial courts as regular matters to ensure their early disposal,” he said, adding that this order will come into effect from September 11.

He said earlier also, there were no designated traffic courts which were set up later. “The move is aimed at making the system more transparent and more efficient,” Mr Sharma said, adding the judicial officers of these traffic courts have been transferred to regular magisterial courts.