Mess continues on Jammu roads, violators of signals go scot free

Vehicles violating traffic signal in City. ­Excelsior/Rakesh
Vehicles violating traffic signal in City. ­Excelsior/Rakesh

Traffic Police recommends cancellation of 80 licenses
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 16: Contrary to the claims of the authorities regarding bringing an improvement in management of traffic system in Jammu city by installing the traffic signals at important crossings, the traffic management system is worsening day by day due to lack of proper monitoring and check.
The authorities assign the lack of manpower with Traffic Police as the main cause of present mess in the city where the congestion of traffic has become worrisome as after the Darbar move a large number of manpower was shifted to capital City of Srinagar in Kashmir valley to manage the traffic there with the result the winter capital faces shortage of manpower to manage the traffic especially on its busy chowks.
The Traffic Police has installed the signals in the City over a decade back but those installed in the main chowks on this side of Tawi bridge including Jewel Chowk, Bakshi Nagar Chowk, Janipur, Ambphalla, Buta Nagar and Paloura were abandoned after the department came to know that instead of easing the problems on roads, the installation of traffic signals have compounded them. However, the signals installed across the Tawi bridge continue to function.
Though the Traffic Police didn’t find any fault with the functioning of the signals across the Tawi bridge including at Bikram Chowk, Fourth Tawi bridge, Gandhi Nagar crossing near Green Belt area at Main Stop Gandhi Nagar, Last Morh Gandhi Nagar, Crossing near Railway Head and Satwari Chowk etc, violation of signals is rampant on these crossings especially by two wheelers and four wheeler operators. This violation which has made mockery of entire system can prove fatal some times. Most of times, these violators evade the eye of Traffic Police and they go scot free caring two hoots for traffic rules.
The people showing their concern over the violation of signals by some drivers demand stringent action against them and enforcement of traffic rules in letter and spirit.
Gaurav Kumar an IT Engineer, who had a narrow escape last week after a two wheeler violating the signal was about to be hit by his Maruti had he not applied the brake on eleventh hour at the crossing near Green Belt Park.
He said had he not applied the brake and stopped his car both the two wheeler rider and he would have received fatal injuries.
He said there should be check on such crossings and Traffic Police in case has no manpower to monitor the same should install some monitoring devices through which such violators can be tracked and booked under law so that others have a lesson.
Similiar were the views of Veenu Parihar, a college student. Favouring stringent action against the violators of traffic signals, she said that some road Romeos on two -wheelers often violate signals putting their as well as others lives to risk. Often it is seen on various crossings when many vehicles are waiting for a green signal at a crossing some four wheelers and two wheelers without taking cognizance of the same rush their vehicles through the Red signal which can prove fatal at occasions.
The Traffic Police needs to monitor the same as a large number of people are not used to this system and they drive the vehicles haphazardly.
However, while reaching the Bakshi Nagar crossing near Pawan Ice Cream, a total mess prevailed there and no one is seen to monitoring this crossing. Earlier there used to be Traffic Police monitoring the same till Darbar was in Jammu and nowadays cop is seen there to control the traffic. This crossing has become a mess these days due to ongoing work on four lanning of Jammu- Akhnoor road. Even no proper traffic management is visible on Janipur Chowk where lot of rush is seen during these days after some vehicles to Akhnoor take this road as well as Talab Tillo road since the work of Flyover at Bakshi Nagar was started.
When contacted SSP Traffic Jammu, Joginder Singh said that the Traffic Police has tracked down 70 to 80 people for violating signals and had submitted these cases to RTO Jammu for cancellation of their licenses.
He said the Traffic cops are posted at those places where the need is felt and sought cooperation of public as well as media in invoking sense of traffic discipline among the people. Even during the peak hours the signals are closed and the manpower is deployed to manage traffic on busy chowks, he added.
Maintaining that new generation is cautious and 80 percent people are fully cooperating in respecting the rules as they wear helmets, use seat belts etc but there are some 20 percent who are violating the law.
He said present problem at Bakshi Nagar Crossing , Talab Tillo road and Janipur road is due to construction of flyover on Akhnoor road from Bakshi Nagar to Paloura and maximum traffic to Akhnoor takes Janipur side and Talab Tillo road.
He said that Government alone can’t do it but people have to cooperate and they should maintain the traffic discipline.

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