Inefficiency and criminal negligence of the traffic police is discernable in yet one more facet of road transport. Generally speaking, road accidents happen in the hilly region of the state and, as we know, most of the region is hilly in our State. If accidents happen on National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar or from Batote to Bhadarwah or Jammu to Poonch, there can be some justification. The topography of this entire region is of a pattern that calls for utmost caution and alertness on the part of the drivers of trucks and other vehicles.
However, the astonishing thing is that good number of motor accidents happens on the plain stretch of the National Highway, which covers the distance of 85 kilometers from Lakhanpur to Satwari. It is unbelievable to say that during the year 2014 about 218 accidents took place on National Highway in Kathua district alone in which 42 people lost their lives while 311 were injured. On this stretch of National Highway until June this year, 24 people lost their lives in accidents while 96 were injured. In most of the cases, the drivers fled after the accident and remained untraced, though the police registered accident cases.
Why should so many accidents happen so often on a road that is broad and runs over the plains? Actually, the traffic police should have made research into this situation. In our State, life has no value and those who die in these accidents do not prick the conscience of our traffic authorities. There are a number of reasons contributing to road accidents on the plains. Foremost is the illegal and unauthorized encroachment of the service lanes running by the sides of the National Highway. Encroachers are the rehriwalas and handcart vendors, small eateries and groceries, who have occupied the service lanes, essentially meant for side parking a truck or a vehicle if it has developed some mechanical snag, and needs repair on spot. Large-scale encroachment denies the trucks and heavy vehicles to park on service lanes. These are parked on the main highway and it is a cause of road accidents. How do these encroachers are scot free and why does not the traffic and normal police come into motion against them? Senior police officers often pass by the highway. Don’t they see the illegal encroachment obstructing the traffic system? Why do they allow violation of rules under their nose?
Traffic police authorities have reported that in many cases of road accidents, the drivers of the vehicles meeting with an accident take to their heels and remain clueless for fear of being arrested and tried in a court of law.
Yet another reason for accidents happening on the plains is the lack of roadworthiness of both trucks as well as the roads. Lakhanpur to Satwari stretch of the National Highway is in the hands of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport. It is a pity that despite being a National Highway it is full of potholes and unworthy for traffic at many places. Being the only Highway that connects Punjab with Jammu and Kashmir, it is over crowded with traffic and as such requires regular repair. Safety barriers at several places on this stretch of Highway are broken and authorities have not restored them so far.
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