Ranchi: Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed traffic police to come down heavily on Ranchi commuters violating road rules.

A division bench of Justices Aparesh Kumar Singh and Ratnaker Bhengra, hearing a public interest litigation filed by Ranchi advocate Rahul Kumar Das on erratic traffic and frequent accidents in the capital, ruled wearing helmets was mandatory and triple-riding on two-wheelers could not be permitted in any condition.

The bench made a serious observation on traffic police's inability to stop triple-riding.

The judges observed speeding, especially by youngsters, would have to be curbed with an iron hand.

The bench also said tinted film on vehicles would have to be scraped off.

Traffic police runs its programmes in different parts of the capital, but they are not consistent and need to be more effective, the bench observed.

It also made the police and Ranchi Municipal Corporation accountable for road encroachments. When the counsel for the corporation L.C.N. Shahdeo told court that anti-encroachment drives were done, the court said they were not satisfactory. Drives are held on one day and hawkers come back on the very next day, the court said.

On information given by urban development department on road widening and flyover construction, the court said the physical condition of the capital should be scientifically studied before plans were made.

The department also said it wanted to start a metro rail service in the capital for which a proposal had been sent to the Centre, which asked for clarifications.