As most of the road widening projects have not been completed well in time in Kashmir valley, the traffic congestion on roads due to ever increasing traffic has multiplied over the period of years. Traffic regulation has failed to bring visible change in easing the movement of passenger mini buses, auto rickshaws and light passenger vehicles including cabs and Sumos’ on all the routes of Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley. The congestion on roads caused by the poor working of the traffic regulation system continues to haunt commuters as drivers park their vehicles on four way crossings and not at bus stops. The traffic police appear to be a mute spectator as the minibus operators are running their transport business in violation of traffic rules and regulations. Traffic police does not bother to act despite spotting passenger vehicles ferrying passengers on rooftops. Even rash driving goes unchecked and henceforth uncontrolled as well. The rashly driving is though a big cause of the unprecedented increase in the frequency of road accidents but authorities neither book drivers for rash driving nor for ferrying passengers on the roof tops of the passenger vehicles they drive on the roads in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley . Hundreds of complaints of over-charging, fleecing of tourists, and loud music blaring from mini passenger buses are reported from almost all parts of Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley year after year but the traffic officials prefer to shut their eyes instead of initiating any action against the drivers violating traffic rules under broad day light in Srinagar and major towns of Kashmir valley.
Penalising the traffic violators as envisaged in the revised traffic rules announced by the Jammu & Kashmir Transport Department alone can’t smoothen the traffic management system in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley, but improving the facilities for the public transport system is required to end traffic chaos in urban Kashmir particularly Srinagar city.
The existing transport services have outlived their utility due to unprecedented increase in the urban population across Kashmir and now are the time to upgrade the urban transport services to ensure the facility of prompt public transport services in Srinagar and major towns of Kashmir valley. Till the time transport services are upgraded to ensure the establishing of an echo friendly urban transport system in Kashmir, the traffic need assessment and strict adherence of the traffic rules are the two major challenges for the traffic regulation authorities. The challenges are not unachievable but deserve immediate attention of the traffic regulation authorities. Penalising the traffic violators as envisaged in the revised traffic rules announced by the Jammu & Kashmir Transport Department alone can’t smoothen the traffic management system in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley, but improving the facilities for the public transport system is required to end traffic chaos in urban Kashmir particularly Srinagar city.
