Five-month-old baby moves HC seeking ban on vehicular traffic in Cubbon Park

Bengaluru: A public interest litigation has been filed by a five-month-old infant seeking a ban on traffic in Cubbon Park in Bengaluru.

The petitioner, who is a regular visitor to the park, is being represented by his father.

Pointing out at the drastic reduction in air pollution, during the lockdown period i.e. between March 24 and May 20, the petitioner sought a permanent ban on traffic in the city’s prime lung space.

The park, including others that come under the ambit of the Department of Horticulture were reopened following a September 8 directive from the member secretary of the executive committee of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority. The petition further states that the Cubbon park traffic police wrote to Department of Horticulture requesting to reopen Cubbon Park for traffic.

The September 8 directive was later amended and another order was issued by the joint director of the Department of Revenue, allowing pedestrian and vehicular movement within public parks.

The petition asserts that only the Department of Horticulture take a decision on final reopening the park to traffic. The petition also asked the court to strike down the amended order of September 8 which allowed pedestrian and vehicular movement within the park.

A division bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Nataraj Rangaswamy heard the petition.