Chaotic city traffic

For umpteen times we have written about the chaotic city traffic in the winter capital of the State. Ever increasing rural to urban migration, influx of refugees of various hues, heavy rush of tourist pilgrims, incredible increase in the numbers of motor vehicles, and dearth of space for widening the existing roads all have combined to spell disaster for the city traffic. Traffic Department and even the High Court are at a loss to figure out how to rectify the traffic situation. Just by accusing traffic police for all the traffic woes is not going to produce a solution.
In response to the instructions of the High Court, Inspector General Police (Traffic) Jagjit Kumar has submitted a report to the Division Bench pinpointing the bottleneck and flaws in the traffic system in the winter capital of the State. This is the first ever comprehensive repot by the top authority of Traffic Police making no bones about the affliction of city traffic. He has emphasized that the issue of endemic traffic woes cannot be overcome unless all concerned departments come together with all seriousness to tackle it. The report very candidly conveys that the issue is too big to be brushed aside casually. The suggestion of the IGP (Traffic) that an expert committee is constituted to go into all aspects of the issue, the rotaries, flyovers, underground passages, vacation of footpaths by encroachers, mobile vendors, widening of road wherever possible, changeover of city buses with abominable  seating system to low floor automatic buses, plans for introducing tramway or underground metro for various stretches, building of multi-floor parking structures, construction of ring road and so many others is very sensible. The task on which he has laid his finger is not just the duty of his department. It is a State level issue and has to be tackled accordingly. We fully support the recommendation of the IGP that an expert committee is constituted to conduct detailed study of the subject and submit a report along with financial implications.
We have said the DE has been reflecting this crucial issue without let up. We have also, more than once, brought to the notice of authorities that local politics and vested interests are on an alert to scuttle new schemes of the Government like building more flyovers or widening the road at specific points etc. The scheme of shifting the bus stand out of the city or construction of a flyover from Ambphalla Chowk to Bus Stand or Jewel to Canal Road all have been scuttled under pressures from either political bosses or business magnates. If a Government goes by succumbing to pressures, it cannot claim to be people-friendly. Jammu city traffic is in a chaotic condition unworthy of a city that is the winter capital of the State. The IGP (Traffic) has done good service to Jammu by submitting a very cogent and objective report on traffic situation in Jammu and has also given a vision of what it should be like in future. The ball is now in the court of the Government and let us how the Division Bench reacts to it. However, at the end of the day it is the Traffic Department which will be asked to take care of their baby. Actually, we cannot say that the IGP has passed on the buck to the court. It has done what it should have done with the objective of bringing about sea change in the traffic system of the city.

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