Mumbai HC Slams Vehicle Dumping on Streets, Orders Strict Action Against Abandonment

New Delhi: Mumbai’s roads and footpaths, already gasping for space, cannot double up as graveyards for abandoned vehicles, said the Bombay High Court. In a directive issued on May 8, a division bench comprising Justices G S Kulkarni and Advait Sethna ordered all city police stations to rigorously implement traffic police directives regarding the removal and disposal of confiscated and abandoned vehicles.

Dumping Not Enough, Continuous Disposal Action Required

The court emphasized that simply shifting the vehicles to a dumping yard is inadequate. “Merely dumping of the vehicles at the dumping site would not suffice. In the event these vehicles are no longer required, continuous action is required to be taken to dispose of these vehicles,” the court observed. It further instructed that suitable advisories be issued to ensure consistent vehicle disposal efforts.

Housing Society Raises Alarm on Police Dumping

The court's order came while hearing a petition filed by Marathon Maxima Co-op Housing Society. The society had expressed serious concerns about a nearby police station dumping towed or confiscated vehicles right outside its gates, obstructing movement and access for residents.

Responding to the issue, the additional commissioner of police (traffic) submitted an affidavit stating that a citywide communication had already been issued to all police stations last month, instructing that such vehicles be transferred to designated dumping yards.

The bench, however, urged the state government to go further by identifying appropriate dumping grounds within each municipal ward, ensuring a more organized and less disruptive solution to the problem.

The bench warned that the traffic department's communication must be “meticulously followed,” and the officer-in-charge of each police station is now personally accountable for adhering to the court’s directives. “We clarify that the directions issued by the traffic department ought not to fall on deaf ears and need to be strictly followed and implemented,” the court said.