Police, Palike can’t ask traffic NOC for buildings

Police, Palike can’t ask traffic NOC for buildings
Wednesday December 19 2007 08:26 IST

Basavaraj Itnal

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BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) is demanding a no objection certificate (NOC) from the traffic police before issuing building licences with more than 10,000 square feet of super built-up area.

But neither the police nor BBMP has any legal standing to demand it. Further, city police has no expertise in traffic impact study. Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) K C Ramamurthy told this website's newspaper that the department was relying only on empirical knowledge of his staff.

“Police had always been regulating traffic in the city. They are the best judges as to what impact a new skyscraper would have on the traffic. It does not need specialist advice,’’ he said. Does it mean traffic management is left to left to empirical knowledge of policemen?

Or do they have any team who have background in traffic engineering? Ramamurthy said: “We have none.’’ But then under what law Police would demand compliance? “Palike should answer that question. They had been referring building plans to us,’’ he said.

Palike Commissioner S Subramanya too had no straight answer. “Building bylaw does not demand such an NOC, but are we supposed to do nothing to address traffic impact due to new high rises? We have identified a problem and are trying to do something about it,’’ he said.

What about legal limitations? “We will amend the bylaw,’’ he said. Officials from the Traffic Engineering Cell and Town Planning Department along with traffic police comprise the building plan scrutiny committee.javascript:void(0)

The builders are asked to find an expert and make a presentation on traffic impact management to the satisfaction of this committee - while no law demands it.