LUCKNOW, Feb. 7 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has expressed serious concerns over the traffic situation near certain girls' schools in Lucknow during the opening and closing hours, and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to look into the issue and inform it of the action taken. Taking note of a reported instance involving the A P Sen Memorial Girls PG College on station road in Charbagh, the court asked the state counsel to look into the matter and apprise it of the developments by the next date of hearing on February 17. The court also considered suggestions regarding easing traffic congestion around prominent city schools and directed representatives of the schools to submit their suggestions through the amicus curiae, appointed to assist the court in the matter. A division bench of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice BR Singh passed the order recently while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Gomti River Bank Residents' Welfare Association. Besides several issues relating to the safety of schoolchildren, the court has been monitoring traffic problems around major schools, caused by the large number of vehicles parked on the roads during the drop-off and pick-up hours. In compliance with an earlier order, representatives of CMS-Station Road, CMS-Gomti Nagar Extension, CMS-Gomti Nagar-I, Seth M R Jaipuria School, La Martiniere Girls' College and Loreto Convent Intermediate College appeared before the bench and made submissions on measures to address traffic congestion near their campuses. In some cases, the schools also sought assistance from the state government and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. The bench noted that it had earlier suggested that the schools should ensure that the parents' vehicles are parked within their own campuses, but observed that the direction was not followed in letter and spirit...