[Col Mehta]

Hmm. I say, first clear those hundreds and thousands of pending cases in your courtrooms, justify your perks off our pockets and take that arrogance off your heads. You guys have enjoyed unimaginable power without any accountability for far too long now. And just because people don't ask enough questions, you have made several assumptions over these many years - one of them is the false sense of superiority over everyone and everything which isn't even mildly amusing because technically, you are just public servants with responsibility to serve the public. Nothing else.

[Hayek]

The arrogance of certain members of India’s judiciary knows no bounds. It’s high time judges and other government servants were kicked out of their fancy government given accommodation, deprived from cars with red lights or police escorts and forced to travel like ordinary tax paying Indian citizens who pay their salaries.

[M00M]

Gross abuse of power by Madras HC. There is a fast tag lane, why not use a fast tag on your car and go thru that lane rather than demanding a new lane to be created.

Typical arrogant display of power in India.

[WindRide]

Another Karnan-like old bat must have passed this 'order'.
Iam sure, SC will bin this nonsense.

[Guite]

This is abuse of power. They even have the galls to threaten NHAI with contempt of court if their order is not implemented. This order should be struck down immediately by the Supreme Court.

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by Guite

This is abuse of power. They even have the galls to threaten NHAI with contempt of court if their order is not implemented. This order should be struck down immediately by the Supreme Court.

That will be fun. The high court judges can then go on strike and squat in the toll booths blocking traffic till their needs are met. They can give emotional speeches stating why they need the separate lane and let the nation know.

[nvldvr]

The sheer audacity with which this "judgement" has been passed is bewildering. There really are no words left to be said.

God save us all.

[strawhat]

Lordships are in a hurry! Millions of cases are still pending!!

Another ignominy faced by our judges every single day is plying on the same road that we use. So, I advocate,
- Exclusive expressways with zero blemishes. They have to be laid using the highest quality material (no govt. contractors, please).
- Any commoner caught walking/riding on highways is liable to be punished on the spot (mobile courts?). Attempts at embarrassing them is an unpardonable offense.
- Traffic rules don't apply in these routes. Signals? Wrong lane driving? Meh!
- No question of any police intervention. Removal from duties if you do.

Finally, the most important point to remember. They are above law.

[Maverick1977]

In my opinion there should be 3 lanes for all traffic -
1. A dedicated lane for emergency vehicles. The lane of empty can be used for the 2nd category of vehicles.
2. Lane for all tax payers - you need to carry your last filed ITR to prove you are a tax payer. If it's a chaffeur driven car the owner has to be filing taxes.
3. Lane for all non-tax payers - this is for the remainder of the users.

Proposed toll
1. No toll
2. 50% discount on the existing toll
3. 50% cess on existing toll.

If any Govt or court has seriously the guts to do this then really hats off.

[dark.knight]

Unless there is a separate lane at every toll plaza, VIPs and sitting Judges will continue to face "unnecessary harassment" that would amount to contempt by NHAI they said.

Contempt : the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration.

Thanks for making me understand that I am worthless or beneath consideration every time I hit a toll booth and wait in line.

Let's leave alone the caste or gender discrimination for now.. the most useless divide in India presently is when the ultimate preservers and sustainers of the democracy for the most part, also called as citizens.. call themselves the "aam aadmi" or common man all so modestly and are willing to wait in line for almost anything.. and then there are the Very Important Persons who go out of their way to show that they are very important and plead for their greater rights, in a society which is already so ridiculously acquiescent that they herd each other and make way for the rich and powerful.

I hope there isn't one post in favor of this judgment. There is a fine line between being a good well-adjusted individual and just being an absolute conformist.

[akshaymahajan]

Why are we surprised by this? This happens already, its just that now they want to make it a rule.

We live in a world where this made it to the news headlines a few months back. In 2018. And this is just one state!

PS: Dear most of the so called VIPs and all the folks who travel with a pilot vehicle full of goons, I realize this is the only way you can get any respect in the world. Have fun with it until the day you retire, are no longer a VIP and have to be transported in an Ambulance while your successor is passing by.

[pratyush6]

The statements by the court reeks of entitlement and gross abuse of power. There is no way this passes the SC. Ordinary citizens, which who toil day in and day out for far too long have had their fates decided by a corrupt and a crony system.

The problem is with us too, we are so engrossed with our lives that we have created the halo of 'This just happens and nothing can be done about it'
The common man isn't united, we are divided along, caste, creed, religion, language, states and thousands of other identities for us to truly unite. We only think in our microcosm and never the big picture. The system just takes advantage of this and the wheels of power never stop creating more and more ways to make their lives better. Some odd fellow who fights against this system more often than not ends up either on the street or jail or worse dead.

PS:You never know though, the GOI could bring it as a memo/money bill and it would be law. I am not sure about the legality in this case.

Seriously though:
A simple method to solve the Toll Mess everywhere is to create standards and automated tolls. Make sure the number plates are visible (and follow set standards all over the country) and a transponder that can communicate with a device at the beginning and end of a toll can automatically deduct funds. Anyone who does not do both can be caught and made to pay 10 times the amount (or something along that lines). But, hey, who am I kidding, this won't happen in the next 25 years.

[swissknife]

The linking of VIPs and Judges reminds me of BBC's "Yes Minister/Prime Minister" where the salaries of politicians are linked to those of civil servants. That way, one does not question the other! It makes me wonder if the VIPs (read politicians) want a separate lane or the Judges want one?

[findviru]

This order is similar to the scenario where law makers decide their own salary. I am sure the judge who passed this order would have been stuck in jam at a toll and hence the order. Total abuse of power and it needs to be challenged in higher court. A sensible panel of judges will void this order. Judicial system is the last pillar which has prevented India from becoming like Afghanistan. Such orders leave bad impression of the system

[SJM1214]

NHAI to challenge Madras HC order directing it to create the dedicated lane for VIPs at toll plazas.

Sources said the highways authority would cite how it’s impossible to implement the order. They added earmarking a lane for VIPs would also not go down well with people and the particular lane would be hugely underutilised. Officials said the solution to traffic congestion at toll plazas lie in equipping all toll lanes that can use electronic tags, 100% coverage of RFID FasTags in all vehicles and earmarking dedicated lanes only for vehicles with tags

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News Source and Full Story : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/65613978.cms