M.M. SHUJA
Traffic Jam in the Srinagar city and surroundings areas not only cost the lives of travellers but have also many times taken the lives of accident victims. The injured need quick medical treatment and any delays on this account may make matters worse for them and could prove fatal for their lives. There is no question about the fact that like other places in the country, there has been an surge in the number of vehicles on the roads in the Kashmir Division, but then again it should be remembered that an effective traffic management plan can go a long way in solving the problem. The Traffic Police Department of Jammu & Kashmir has been entrusted with the task of regulation of traffic and traffic safety in the territory. It has been observed, however, that the department’s main emphasis has been on issuance of challans and collection of fines from traffic violators instead of creating awareness among motorists and prevention of traffic violations. In the last six years, the department has reportedly collected a total of around Rs 150 crore in the form of fines and challans from traffic violators. In view of such a substantial amount being collected, one pertinent question that emerges is why there has been no reduction in traffic violations at all? Such persistent traffic violations have serious implications regarding the ineffectiveness of the present-day traffic regulation and enforcement mechanism. The reason behind such continuous violations seems to be the inadequate number of awareness and preventive measures. The Traffic Police Department should not just think of punishing the traffic violators but at the same time make efforts to educate drivers, enforce discipline on the roads, and encourage responsible driving. Simultaneously, while the number of traffic personnel at different places has decreased, the manpower of the department has been reduced.
The issue of traffic congestion has become one of the major issues in Srinagar, especially during the peak hours, when it affects the people of the city and its surrounding areas. Traffic congestion has affected almost all sectors; however, most affected sectors include the Trade and Tourism sectors that rely on easy transportation. What is even more disturbing is that there have been incidents in which the ambulances have got caught in the traffic jams. In case of a patient requiring emergency treatment, every moment counts, and any delay in getting to the hospital can cost a life. It is thus incumbent upon the administration and Traffic Police Department to chalk out an all-embracing plan for dealing with this situation. This would encompass an increase in manpower, improved positioning of traffic officials at vulnerable junctions, identification of traffic congestion hot spots, formulating and implementing traffic diversion schemes and carrying out road safety awareness drives on a continuous basis. There is also a dire necessity for taking stringent action against wrong parking, violation of traffic rules and blocking of emergency vehicles. It is high time that the focus should shift from imposing fines to maintaining better traffic discipline and efficient traffic management system.
In the last week, the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Atal Dulloo, held a meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Committee (MDC) on Traffic Management to oversee the execution of the comprehensive action plan meant to mitigate the problem of traffic congestion. In addition to this, an Action Taken Report on the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety was reviewed in the meeting. According to the Chief Secretary, 2.8 lakh e-challans have been issued in the state of J&K in the previous seven months. The meeting included the Additional Chief Secretary, Home; PWD Officials; Commissioner, Srinagar Smart City; Divisional Commissioners, Jammu & Srinagar; and others. Despite the fact that officials from different departments are aware of the problems being faced by the common masses because of traffic congestion, the major challenge is how to solve this long-lasting grievance. Meetings can be held and instructions issued, but what the people need is tangible results.
Under the Smart City Project, the residents of Srinagar were promised good road connectivity, safety, and quality drinking water, as well as improved facilities for health care and education. But unfortunately, the anticipated results have failed to appear in many respects. The majority of roads in Srinagar city are in a sorry state, and there is a great deal of traffic congestion, making the life of commuters very difficult. Much time is being wasted on the roads by everyone – be it an employee, student, patient or any other individual, even business. This is not only a problem of Srinagar city but even the adjacent places have to suffer from traffic congestion. The growing number of vehicles, ineffective traffic management, poor condition of roads and uncoordinated actions of the related departments have complicated the lives of the citizens. If the administration wants to solve the problem of traffic congestion in Srinagar and its adjacent places, then they will have to adopt a realistic and time-bound approach instead of holding only meetings and enforcing laws.
The government should be able to recognize those areas where there would likely be problems in the future, improve road conditions, arrange parking places, avoid bottlenecks and improve traffic control. Equally essential is the requirement for monitoring the execution of the decision and assigning accountability for any delay in its execution. What is required by the people of Srinagar is not promises but relief from the agony of traffic jams. It is time that the government converted its plans into action.
The Author is Senior Journalist/Human Rights Activist, can be reached at mmshuja@gmail.com
