Traffic mismanagement continues to hassle people in Srinagar as in the absence of traffic police, locals volunteer in the evenings to get off the gridlocks.
People in Srinagar are up in arms against the authorities for failing to get rid of traffic jams in most parts of the summer capital. The locals said in most of the places and important intersections, traffic police were not present to manage the gridlock, which stretches the congestion for hours together.
“At most places, traffic jams could be avoided if there are police to manage it, but at times people themselves come out of their vehicles to do this. In the last one year, the traffic situation has worsened further,” said Naseem Ahmad, a city resident.
Against the requirement of 1,250 policemen by the Srinagar Traffic Department to manage the traffic, there are only 270 policemen presently deployed in various parts. The shortage of manpower in the Traffic Department has added to the traffic woes of the people.
“We have a shortage of manpower but we are trying our best to streamline the traffic. Whenever we get complaints, we act immediately,” said a senior official of the Traffic Department.
“The actual requirement is 1,250 policemen, but currently there are only 270 police personnel managing the traffic in Srinagar. We have already requested for extra manpower. In fact we had two teams from the police that helped in managing traffic, but they too have left. Some officials have been sent to Jammu with the Durbar Move, so it is difficult to manage the traffic, but we are still trying our best. People should also cooperate and should follow traffic rules,” the official added.
The places where most of the traffic jam is witnessed include Jehangir Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Residency Road, Regal Chowk, TRC, Polo View and Ram Bagh Bridge, Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Bridge, Batamaloo and Qamarwari.
Though parking of vehicles is prohibited on roadsides, especially at busy Residency Road, in the absence of regulation, commuters continue to follow rules and park their vehicles on the roadside adding to the problem.
“The random parking of vehicles also hampers the traffic movement. Some people park their vehicles in the busy markets creating difficulty for the common man. The authorities must act tough against them,” said Samir Ahmar, a local.
