Delhi High Court has asked the Union of India as well as the Delhi Government to consider the prospect of recommencing the services of Delhi Metro.
The Division Bench of Justice HimaKohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad highlighted that metro rail services are a mainstay of the public transportation services in Delhi.
Filed by law student Shreesh Chadha, the petition suggested that the government should frame guidelines to ensure safety and hygiene of the passengers and of those who operate the modes of public transportation.
As per the Petitioner, this can be done by setting up thermal scanning units, and other necessary equipment, to ensure that only those passengers who have not tested positive for the COVID19 virus are utilising the public transportation for permitted purposes.
The petitioner has highlighted the complete ignorance of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transportation And Highways, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on preventive measures in public transportation, as per the Petitioner, has rendered the MHA guidelines arbitrary, unreasonable and contrary to Articles 14,19 and 21 of the Constitution.
The petition stated,
‘The revised guidelines of the MHA have caused an unequal and disproportionate effect on people availing public transportation services to commute to their workplace, and hence, is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution’.
The petition was disposed off after directing the centre and Delhi govt. to consider the recommencing of services of Delhi Metro.