Kashmir Age Report
Srinagar, Mar 03: Since the schools were reopened after winter vacations in the summer capital Srinagar the heavy traffic has clogged roads. The city has been witnessing massive traffic jams much to the annoyance of commuters, who complain that traffic authorities have failed to regulate the flow of traffic.
Srinagar is is the most densely populated city in Kashmir Division. Every day the number of vehicles is increasing and most part of city is badly affected by huge traffic jams. Authorities blame faulty traffic signaling systems, inadequate manpower, narrow road spaces and overtaking tendency of drivers create traffic congestion in the city.
Due to traffic jams, a substantial portion of working hours of traders, students and employees gets wasted on streets which indirectly put adverse impact on economy. “It causes serious air pollution and noise pollution and thus worsens the overall environmental condition,” said an official.
The 20-minutes travel in Srinagar these days during morning hours takes more than an hour as roads remain choked Irfan Ahmad Bhat, a private employee said it took him an hour to reach the City Center Lal Chowk which is just 8-km distance.
“Right from the Bemina crossing till Lal Chowk no place was open on the road. I have never seen such traffic jams which are occurring since last few days,” he told Kashmir Age.
Another resident Mudasir Ahmad from Rajbagh said that massive traffic jams has become a norm these days. “I have to leave more than an hour early to reach to my office in Hazratbal. However, despite that I reach office late due to massive traffic jams. It is becoming embarrassing for me to explain to my boss every day,” he said.
The residents blame security barricades, wrong parking of vehicles and street-vendors erecting their stalls on footpaths and roads as major reasons for the traffic jams.
Even police have failed in properly managing the traffic which results in long irritating jams on day to day basis” locals said and added that huge rush of mini buses, Tata Sumos , buses and mini tempo travelers is adding to the mess as there is proper parking place for them available in the city.
“Few traffic policemen deployed in the city hardly bother to manage the traffic and as a result large number of vehicles are parked haphazardly which results in long jams, said city residents adding due to traffic congestion people and even pedestrians avoid coming to city centre Lal Chowk which in turn is affecting the business of traders. A trader Ghulam Mohammad at Amira Kadal here rued it is difficult to pass through the Amira Kadal bridge during day time because of unmanageable traffic.
The residents of the city including traders have now demanded that there should be proper system to manage traffic so that the people freely pass through main areas without any inconvenience.
A traffic policeman deployed near G.B Pant Hospital admitted that they have failed to streamline the traffic in the recent days. The school buses appeared on roads and therefore manifold the traffic mess in the city. The road encroachments have added to the miseries of people, hampering the smooth flow of traffic.
An official however said the department has low man power and cannot afford to deploy its force in every spot of the city.
