Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Nov 16: As part of a swift response to the tragic road accident at Tengpora, Srinagar that claimed the lives of two minors, the Srinagar Traffic Police launched an extensive citywide crackdown, seizing more than 300 vehicles, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers, in a bid to curb traffic violations.
With the crackdown against traffic violations ongoing for the past three days, officials said the drive will continue, with hundreds of vehicles being seized daily and more than 300 vehicles already seized across Srinagar city alone.
The accident which sent shockwaves through the city underscored the need for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.
Authorities have since doubled down on ensuring the safety of the general public. A senior official from the Srinagar Traffic Police said that the drive against traffic violators has been ongoing for the past three days, with hundreds of vehicles being seized daily.
“We have seized more than 300 vehicles across the city in the last three days. Many have been released after formal proceedings and official release orders, while many of these violations involve minors driving without proper licenses, and other offences” said the official.
“We are taking strict action against other offences as well, such as not wearing seatbelts and wrong parking, both in Srinagar city and its outskirts. Alongside issuing challans, many vehicles have also been seized for repeated violations and improper parking,” he said.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir, Ravinder Pal Singh reads that Ravinder Pal Singh has directed all challaning officers of his unit to launch Special Enforcement Drives in their areas of responsibility, targeting visible traffic law violations that mostly lead to road accidents.
“In this context, today on 16.11.2024, challaning officers of Traffic Rural Kashmir launched massive Traffic Enforcement Drives in main towns and along major roads of Traffic Rural Kashmir. During such drives, 1,144 challans have been executed against visible traffic law violators. During these drives, special focus was given to violations like overspeeding, rash/negligent driving, and driving without safety gear. All challaning officers of this unit have also been directed to ensure zero tolerance against the menace of underage children or students driving vehicles or riding two-wheelers. In this context, special counseling sessions were also conducted to inform citizens about the repercussions of allowing minors to drive two-wheelers or four-wheelers,” it reads.
“Moreover, such kinds of enforcement drives shall continue until the desired results are achieved and road accidents, which are currently at an alarming rate, are minimized to the optimum possible level,” the release further states.
Similarly, the crackdown is a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting traffic laws and the shared responsibility of parents and authorities to ensure road safety.
It is worth mentioning that an elderly resident of Srinagar, Abdul Rashid, expressed his thoughts on the initiative, stating that every life lost on the road is a tragedy for a family. “It is high time we teach our children the importance of traffic rules. If these steps save even one life, they are worth it,” he said.
