Challans there but no public toilets? Court pulls up NHAI
What's the story
The Kerala High Court has criticized the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for not providing and maintaining public toilets on national highways. The court was hearing a case about the use of petrol station toilets by the public. Justice Amit Rawal recalled his recent trip from Jodhpur to Ranthambore, where he couldn't find any public toilet facilities.
Public inconvenience
HC's remarks during hearing of appeal
Justice Rawal said, "Recently, when I was traveling from Jodhpur to Ranthambore, we could not find a single public toilet on the NH. It is such a long stretch." "We oversped and got four challans. So challans are there but no public toilet," he remarked. The court was hearing an appeal from Kerala's petroleum dealers association against a single judge's order mandating petrol pumps on national highways to keep their washrooms open to the public at all times.
International comparison
Justice Rawal compares India to foreign countries
Justice Rawal also compared India's public toilet facilities to those in other countries. He said, "Basically, this is the duty of the NHAI. Frankly speaking, if you go any foreign country, after you cover a certain distance you will always find a convenience stop." "[In India] Whatever National Highways toilets are there, they are not working. Nobody is there. Ultimately the entire brunt has fallen on them (petrol pump owners). This is very, very bad," Justice Rawal said.
Order modification
Court modifies earlier order
The Division Bench of Justices Rawal and PV Balakrishnan modified the earlier order. They said petrol pumps not located on national highways can decide whether to allow public use of their toilets. However, these facilities should be available to customers and transit travelers. For those along NHs, the court ordered that customers, transit travelers, and staff can use toilets only during working hours.