No need to change school timings and factory working hours to control traffic, State tells K'taka HC
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has submitted in affidavits filed before the High Court that it was not necessary to change school timings and working hours in factories to control traffic in Bengaluru as they were not the only causes for congestion. The affidavits by the Education and Labour Departments were filed after extensive consultation with stakeholders. The HC recorded the submission and adjourned the hearing of the PIL to January first week.
In the affidavit filed by the Principal Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ritesh Kumar Singh, it has been stated that there was no need for any changes in school timings in Bengaluru. The report said that the traffic congestion is not solely due to school hours but is affected by the overall movement of vehicles to and from various institutions, industries, and other locations. Initiating changes in school timings without addressing the overall traffic scenario may lead to adverse consequences, disrupting the scheduled time for sleep, meals, and other essential activities for the students, the affidavit said.
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However, suggestions for decongesting roads near school and colleges were provided in the affidavit including specifying designated pickup and drop points for students, deploying traffic police and wardens during the school commencement and conclusion time and providing Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus services for students.
The affidavit by Principal Secretary, Department of Labour, Mohammad Mohsin stated that there was no need to change the working hours in factories as they were not the sole cause of traffic congestion. The affidavit states that workers travel between 6 am and 9 am and travel back after working hours.
The State has however suggested several measures to avoid traffic congestion including encouraging hybrid working by companies on the Outer Ring Road. The affidavit was filed in response to the recommendations given by the High Court regarding the modification of school, college, and factory timings to regulate traffic congestion in the city. The PIL filed by 'Samarpana Trust' was heard by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Krishna S Dixit.
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Trump’s fresh threat to bomb Iran amid reports of deal to end war
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
