From correspondents in Delhi, India, 01:02 AM IST

The Delhi High Court Tuesday suggested that a welfare fund be created to offer relief to victims of road accidents and that money collected annually as fines for traffic violations could be used for this purpose.

The court sought a response from the central and the Delhi governments on whether such a fund could be set up and implemented.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar asked the counsel for the central and the Delhi governments to give its response by Monday. The court was hearing a matter related to victims of road accidents caused by Blueline buses.

Appearing for Delhi police, counsel Mukta Gupta submitted that every year the police accumulates about Rs.80 crore (Rs.800 million) through fines but the money goes to the central government as the police come under the union home ministry.

Taking suo motu cognisance over a Blueline bus accident that killed eight people and injured several others near the Badarpur border area last year, the High Court passed strict directions to rein in the fleet of buses.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)