A City at a Crossroads: Why Srinagar’s Traffic Revamp Matters More Than Ever
By: Javid Amin | 29 November 2025
Srinagar, with its breathtaking landscapes, bustling markets, and rapidly growing urban footprint, stands at a crucial moment in its infrastructural journey. The latest traffic revamp plan is not just a bureaucratic exercise—it is a foundational restructuring of how the city moves, breathes, and grows. For decades, the city has struggled with a familiar list of urban ailments: narrow arterial roads, ad-hoc public transport practices, haphazard parking, and unregulated pedestrian activity. The situation worsened in the last decade as vehicle ownership surged due to rising incomes and easy financing.
Government data indicates that Kashmir Valley has seen a steady rise in private vehicles, adding nearly 100,000 new vehicles annually, a significant proportion of which contribute to Srinagar’s daily congestion. With limited space for road expansion and increasing pressure on existing infrastructure, a structured mobility strategy is no longer optional—it is essential.
The newly formed High-Power Committee, led by Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg, signals the administration’s recognition of these urgent challenges. The committee’s mandate is clear: create a modern, predictable, and efficient traffic system, aligned with Smart City principles and global urban planning standards.
Public Transport at the Core: The Shift from Chaos to Coordination
If there is one component that consistently determines whether a city’s traffic system succeeds or collapses, it is the quality and predictability of its public transport. For years, Srinagar’s public transport relied heavily on individually operated minibuses and shared taxis that lacked designated halts, fixed timing, or a structured route system. This contributed to:
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Frequent lane violations
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Roadside stopping and choking points
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Unpredictable commute experiences
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Safety concerns for women, elderly passengers, and students
The decision to finalize around 300 designated bus stops is a transformative step. It ensures:
✔ Predictability
Passengers know where to wait and board, reducing chaos at unregulated stops.
✔ Faster Travel
Public transport vehicles lose less time in frequent unscheduled halts.
✔ Safety
Passengers can board and deboard safely without congesting main traffic lanes.
✔ Urban Order
Structured halts support cleaner footpaths, better traffic flow, and enhanced civic discipline.
This intervention also aligns with Srinagar Smart City Limited’s broader plans of digitized route mapping, QR-based ticketing possibility, GPS-enabled fleet movement, and the creation of an integrated mobility dashboard.
One-Way Traffic System: Lessons from Global Cities & Local Pilot
The administration’s decision to introduce and potentially expand a one-way traffic system across Srinagar is grounded in global best practices. Cities like Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, and Istanbul have successfully reduced congestion by adopting one-way loops in older, high-density localities.
✦ Why One-Way Traffic Works
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Reduces collision risks by eliminating cross-direction conflict
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Improves effective road capacity
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Minimizes bottlenecks created by turning vehicles
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Enhances pedestrian safety
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Enables smoother emergency service mobility
The pilot project in Downtown Srinagar (Shehr-e-Khas) has shown early signs of improvement, especially in areas with narrow historic lanes where traditional two-way traffic is unsustainable. The administration is now evaluating similar expansions to:
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Lal Chowk interior loops
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Batamaloo corridors
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Nowhatta–Rajouri Kadal belt
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Safa Kadal–Cement Kadal route
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Hazratbal approach roads
If executed well, Srinagar could see an average 30–40% improvement in vehicular flow during peak hours across these localities.
Spotlight on Critical Junctions: Where the Problems Begin and End
The Div Com’s on-ground inspections highlight that Srinagar’s congestion is not citywide chaos—it is node-based chaos. Certain choke points create ripple effects across the network. Among the most sensitive are:
1. Lal Chowk – MA Road – Residency Road Cluster
This is Srinagar’s economic nucleus. The issues here include:
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High pedestrian density
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Lack of controlled parking
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Intersecting commercial and administrative traffic
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Vendor encroachments
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Tourist-driven congestion
2. Nowgam Crossing
The city’s busiest southern gateway, serving thousands of inbound commuters from:
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Pulwama
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Shopian
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Budgam
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Baramulla–Qazigund corridor
3. Pantha Chowk Interchange
The entry point for:
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Highway trucks
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Tourist vehicles
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Local commuters
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Amarnath Yatra/New Airport connectivity
The government plans to deploy AI-enabled traffic monitoring, dynamic signalization, and micro-zonal traffic management for these intersections.
Smart City Interventions: Technology Takes the Driver’s Seat
Srinagar Smart City Limited has already installed over 100 Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) devices, including:
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Adaptive traffic signals
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Red-light violation detection
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Speed cameras
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Automated number plate recognition (ANPR)
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High-definition surveillance
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Integrated Command & Control Center (ICCC)
The challenge now is synchronization.
💡 The new High-Power Committee will ensure:
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Smart City tools complement ground-level traffic operations
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Agencies share real-time data
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Smart mobility aligns with future infrastructural works
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Congested corridors are monitored 24/7
This shift from manual regulation to data-driven traffic governance is expected to significantly reduce signal downtime, enforce discipline, and streamline movement during peak load periods.
Enforcement + Awareness = Sustainable Mobility
Any traffic redesign fails without public participation. Srinagar has historically struggled with:
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Double parking
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Wrong-side driving
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Ignoring lane discipline
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Unauthorized bus stops
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Footpath encroachments
The Div Com has emphasized a dual strategy:
✔ Strong Enforcement
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Heavy penalties
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Towing of illegally parked vehicles
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Monitoring of bus driver violations
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Digital challan systems
✔ Public Awareness
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Campaigns through print and digital media
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Collaborations with schools, colleges, and local communities
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Involving civil society groups in traffic discipline drives
Citizens will be encouraged to adopt sustainable practices like carpooling, staggered work timings, and using designated parking structures.
Long-Term Urban Mobility Vision: What the Future of Srinagar Could Look Like
Beyond short-term decongestion, the administration is exploring long-term mobility transitions, including:
🚇 Mass Transit Possibility
Feasibility studies for:
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Light Metro
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Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
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Dedicated bicycle corridors
🅿️ Parking Infrastructure
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Multi-level parking plazas
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Digitized parking management
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Pre-booked parking slots via app
🌉 Road Infrastructure
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Grade separators at key junctions
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Bridge expansions
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Bypass strengthening
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Circular road enhancements
🚏 Public Transport Modernization
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E-buses
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Unified ticketing
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GPS mapping of all routes
Srinagar is gradually aligning itself with global mobility standards seen in cities like Chandigarh, Lucknow, and Guwahati while retaining its own geographic constraints.
Public Reaction: Support, Concerns & Expectations
Residents largely welcome the initiative but express concerns such as:
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Sudden change in route patterns
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Need for better signages
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Clarity on parking zones
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More awareness before enforcement
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Need for synchronized traffic lights
Transport operators seek:
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Defined routes
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Reasonable enforcement approach
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Support for technology integration
Business owners fear:
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Restrictions may impact customer footfall
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Need for designated delivery windows
The administration’s challenge is to balance regulation with convenience, ensuring smooth implementation without disrupting economic activity.
Bottom-Line: Srinagar’s Mobility Makeover Is No Longer a Choice—It’s a Necessity
The High-Power Committee’s formation marks a decisive moment in Srinagar’s urban evolution. The success of this ambitious plan will determine:
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How efficiently people commute
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How businesses perform
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How tourists experience the city
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How emergency services respond
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How the city prepares for future growth
Srinagar stands at the threshold of a new mobility era—one that promises organization over chaos, predictability over uncertainty, and modern planning over decades-old practices.
If executed with precision and supported by public cooperation, the city could witness its most significant urban transformation in decades.
