Massive traffic jams on NH irks commuters

A view of traffic jam on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.— Excelsior / Younis Khaliq
A view of traffic jam on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.— Excelsior / Younis Khaliq

Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 26: Jam-mu-Srinagar National High-way (NH) is witnessing massive traffic jams despite one-way traffic movement due to road construction and normally six hours journey on the highway takes over 12 hours these days.
Massive road construction is going between Udhampur and Chenani for four lanning of 22 kilometer road stretch up to Chenani tunnel. This leads to frequent traffic jams on this sector and it takes several hours to cover this stretch which otherwise takes less than half an hour.
The construction work between Udhampur and Banihal sector also leads to traffic jams and takes several hours for less than one hour journey. The construction work in these sectors has led to narrowness of the road which leads to traffic jams whenever local traffic comes from opposite direction during one-way traffic movement on the Highway.
Muzaffar Ahmad said that it took him over 16 hours travel from Jammu to Srinagar as he along with his family was caught in massive traffic jams near Chenani, Kud and Ramsu. “I started at 5 a.m from Jammu. First we were stopped by Traffic Police at Nagrota and then there were massive traffic jams caused by the local traffic that plies in opposite direction and VIP movement. I covered distance between Nagrota and Udhampur and Banihal and Srinagar in 4 hours while for just 120 kilometers it took me 13 hour”, he said.
Muzaffar said that it takes around an hour to cross the Bantalab toll post as there is massive traffic jam. “It took me one hour to cross the toll post. There should be better management at the toll post so that there is no traffic jams there”, he added. He said that the Traffic police is seen nowhere in traffic jam areas.
Truck driver, Ghulam Nabi blamed cars for the massive traffic jams on the highway. He said that if traffic plies in single lane there will be no traffic jam. He said cars overtake trucks and block the highway when the local traffic comes from opposite direction.
The Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Jagjeet Kumar told Excelsior that traffic jams on the highway will continue until bottlenecks at various places are not removed. He said that one-way traffic will continue for the time being.
Kumar said that massive road construction for the four lanning of the National Highway has also led to narrow and dilapidated road condition. He said that besides this large number of Light Vehicles travel from Jammu to Srinagar these days and they overtake trucks leading to traffic jams whenever local traffic comes from opposite direction.
IGP said Nashri to Samroli, Digdol and Ramban to Banihal are the problem areas where traffic jams are frequent. He said that Traffic police can’t remain stationed everywhere on the highway but there is a motor cycle squad of the Department which keeps moving on the highway and clears the traffic whenever there is traffic jam.

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