Neither the conditions of the roads is good enough for the safety of travelers in hilly districts nor the traffic is effectively regulated for reducing the increasing trends of road accidents in Jammu & Kashmir.
Though effective enforcement of traffic rules on roads anywhere in the world is the first and foremost priority for safety of travelers on roads and same holds good for the travelers on the roads in Jammu & Kashmir as well but equally important for the safety of travelers is the condition of roads more so in hilly district than plains . So one way or other the condition of the roads is as good a compulsion for the safety of travelers as is the enforcement of traffic rules. Unfortunately neither the conditions of the roads is good enough for the safety of travelers in hilly districts nor the traffic is effectively regulated for reducing the increasing trends of road accidents in Jammu & Kashmir and more so in rural areas than the twin capital cities-Srinagar and Jammu and major towns of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division. Though condition of the most of the highways connecting twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu with district headquarters of Kashmir Valley and Jammu division is good enough for the safety of travelers but condition of some of the highways connecting twin capital cities with hilly districts is not good enough for the safety of travelers. The road accidents reported week after week and month after month more during mid winter months and less during summer season from the hilly district like Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Poonch themselves speak volumes about the condition of highways connecting these hilly districts with the twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu. So while fast track development of highways connecting twin capital cities with hilly districts deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Government, the intense regulation of traffic on such highways also deserves an equal reaction and response from the J&K Traffic Police Department for the purposes of the safety of travelers on the said highways.
“While undoubtedly development of roads is a priority and Public Works (R&B) Department has enough time to prepare detailed project reports for road development projects by February end this year for inclusion in the road development budget of the next financial year, the onus for reducing the road accidents to reduce the fatality rates in road accidents during this year’s mid winter months lies on traffic police department.”
As more tragic accidents occur and re-occur during mid winter months of December, January and February due to heaving snowing and incessant rains on highways in hilly districts, the regulation of traffic on roads in the hilly districts demands a greater attention of the traffic police department in mid winter months than the summer season. While undoubtedly development of roads is a priority and Public Works (R&B) Department has enough time to prepare detailed project reports for road development projects by February end this year for inclusion in the road development budget of the next financial year, the onus for reducing the road accidents to reduce the fatality rates in road accidents during this year’s mid winter months lies on traffic police department.
