“Due to low intensity drives against overloading the fear of more tragic road accidents always haunts hapless populations in the hilly districts in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.”
Deaths of eleven travelers in an overload passenger vehicle on a potholed hilly road in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district just a few days back are a pointer to the fact the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITM) over which Chief Secretary Attal Dulloo had stressed at a review meeting on traffic management system very recently is not working well. Had instructions issued from the top office of the civil administration been taken serious enough to curb traffic violations both on the highways and as well as the arterial roads in the district, the Baramulla like tragic road accident on a dilapidated hilly road won’t have resulted in death of eleven travelers. In fact vigil over functionality of Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) as directed by Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo at a review meeting of traffic police department very recently will not only facilitate hassle free travels but if enforced well on both hilly and plain roads with equal intensity it will also give travelers a sense of safe travels . Though after the death of 39 travelers in a tragic bus accident on Batote Kishtwar highway near Assar in Doda district early this winter the traffic police department had launched an intensive drive against overloading in the passenger vehicles on hilly roads of Chenab valley for about two weeks but the drive against overloading did not last longer than two weeks on the hilly roads of Chenab valley. Due to low intensity drives against overloading the fear of more tragic road accidents always haunts hapless populations in the hilly districts in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. Consistency in the drive against overloading in passenger vehicles will not only reduce the rising intensity of road accidents in Jammu & Kashmir but it will also further the causes of hassle free traffic across Jammu & Kashmir.
“Undoubtedly the cancellation of several driving licenses during ongoing drive against overloading in Baramulla district will drastically reduce the trends and tendencies of overloading on both hilly and plain roads across Jammu & Kashmir but without showing consistency in the drive against overloading in all the districts the travelers can’t get the sense of safe travels on the roads even in the plains. Enforcement of the directions against overloading if not reviewed at the highest level from time to time won’t make the travels of passengers safe on both hilly and plain roads in Jammu & Kashmir and instead the occurrence and re-occurrence of Baramulla like tragic road accidents will continue to haunt travelers in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Since accident free traffic guarantees security and safety to travelers on roads in both plains and as well as hilly areas of Jammu & Kashmir like many states and union territories of the country, the consistency in the ongoing drive against overloading if maintained will surely give a sense of safety and security to travelers on both hilly and plain roads across Jammu & Kashmir. Though Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir and Deuty Commissioner Baramulla deserves all compliments for having intensified the drive against overloading on all the roads in Baramulla distict but a direction from the office of the Chief Secretary to IGP Traffic, All Deputy Commissioners and Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division for intensifying the drives against overloading could further the broader causes of accident free travel on all hilly and plain roads across Jammu & Kashmir . Undoubtedly the cancellation of several driving licenses during ongoing drive against overloading in Baramulla district will drastically reduce the trends and tendencies of overloading on both hilly and plain roads across Jammu & Kashmir but without showing consistency in the drive against overloading in all the districts the travelers can’t get the sense of safe travels on the roads even in the plains. Enforcement of the directions against overloading if not reviewed at the highest level from time to time won’t make the travels of passengers safe on both hilly and plain roads in Jammu & Kashmir and instead the occurrence and re-occurrence of Baramulla like tragic road accidents will continue to haunt travelers in Jammu & Kashmir.
