Stray dogs, cows major threat to road safety: HC

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court took suo motu cognizance based on media reports regarding the increasing incidents and deteriorating road and public safety conditions in the state due to stray dogs and other animals. The court directed the govt, municipal corporations, and all responsible agencies, including the surface transport ministry, NHAI, and UDH, to take immediate action.The court acknowledged that stray dogs and cows have become a major threat to road safety not only in cities but also on state and national highways. This poses a danger to public lives and has led to serious accidents.Taking dog bite cases as a basis, the division bench of Justice Kuldeep Mathur and Justice Ravi Chiraniya registered a suo motu case and issued notices to the departments of road transport, urban development, local bodies, and municipal corporations of Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Udaipur, among others. The next hearing is scheduled for August 11.The state govt informed the court that the "Rajasthan Road Safety Bill, 2022" was drafted with special provisions to prevent road accidents and control stray animals. On this submission, the court asked whether this bill has been enacted into law or not and directed that the status must be clarified in the next hearing.Taking into account the growing incidences of dog bites, the court stated that these figures highlight the severity of the problem and acknowledged that the actual number of incidents is likely even higher, as many cases go unreported.The court appointed senior advocate Sachin Acharya and advocates Priyanka Borana and Heli Pathak as amicus curiae in this matter. They have been directed to conduct a detailed study and assist the court accordingly.