Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Apr 17: Despite restrictions on public cabs and limited operation of public transport in Srinagar, the city continues to witness severe traffic gridlocks, especially during peak hours, as locals continue to raise questions about the effectiveness of traffic management.
Locals from parts of Srinagar city said that traffic congestion has become a daily struggle, particularly in areas like Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Jahangir Chowk, Hyderpora, Panthachowk and especially on Boulevard Road.
They said, “Even with fewer cabs on the roads, we are stuck in jams for hours. It doesn’t make sense,” said a commuter from Rajbagh.
Others said the problem lies in poor road discipline, frequent roadside parking, and inadequate deployment of traffic personnel during crucial hours. “The government restricted cabs claiming it would ease traffic, but there is no visible difference,” said Numan, a university student.
Officials from the Traffic Department Srinagar, when contacted said that despite heavy traffic flow, they manage to make the traffic ply on the busiest Boulevard Road and other roads.
He said, “In earlier days, about 80,000 people rushed to Tulip Garden on a single day and other places like the famous Mughal Gardens, and as a result, huge volumes of traffic are seen on roads. We have deployed multiple checkpoints and are managing the traffic to keep it flowing.”
The official said additional measures are being taken to regulate the flow, including a revised deployment strategy and a crackdown on violators. “We are monitoring hotspots through CCTV and are working to improve signal timing and enforcement,” he said.
Earlier, official data reveald that the number of registered vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir has nearly doubled over the past seven years, rising from 14.88 lakh in 2017 to 27.29 lakh by December 2024.
Meanwhile, the traffic movement has also increased due to heavy rush of people from outside the valley, who are suggested to be tourists and visitors, as on a daily basis the Srinagar International Airport receives over 50 flights on arrival and 50 on departure, with a total of expected visitors daily as 18,368 on about 100 flights.
