Nightmare on roads

Indu Raina
No one will dispute the very fact that it is really a nightmare to drive on the roads of the two capital cities of J&K. With lakhs of vehicles already plying on these roads and three odd thousand vehicles getting added every month,the road space gets automatically shrunk causing huge traffic jams at most of the crossings. Some times, it almost causes total chaos and frustration among both the drivers as well as the pedestrians.
There are number of other factors which also contribute to the traffic jams. For instance, the crossing at Nanak Nagar just outside the Gurdwara you will never find even a single traffic cop available there though it takes a long time to go across the chowk. Another important crossing is at B C road outside dental College. Total chaos prevails there and the traffic cops on duty are found just gossiping on the road side. Take the case of Janipur Chowk one has to spend, especially in the evenings,not less than half an hour to go across and once again traffic police is not actively regulating the traffic.
TRAFFIC POLICE NOT EFFECTIVE
The sad fact is that on the one hand the people drive very fast and overtake the vehicles on the wrong side right under the nose of police man on duty and it is so strange that people do not  take the presence of traffic police seriously. They violate the rule and simply smile at  the cop in uniform. Why has the image  of traffic police gone down so low.
Much has already been written about the subject but the common man finds no improvement whatsoever. Nodoubt, the state Govt.is spending crores of rupees in building flyovers but that is going to take a long time and when these flyovers will be  operational after say two, three years, the number of vehicles on the roads would have doubled by then and the situation will be back to square one.
ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAYS
Otherwise also look at the aspect of road accidents which usually take place on Batote to Doda Kishtwar road or Rajori Poonch road. Large number of innocent people die for no fault of theirs We have yet to hear the result of even one, I repeat even one accident case where the fault or cause of the accident has been established and the accused driver jailed. From Governor to Chief Minister condolences are sent, grief expressed, even some financial  compensation given and the matter is cooly forgotten till another major mishap takes place. And that is the usual pattern.
SYSTEM IN OTHER COUNTRIES
Apart from very large number of vehicles on the roads which cause traffic jams , vehicle drivers are mostly responsible for violating traffic rules and the traffic police is equally responsible for looking the other way. Last year, in America while driving on a road we inadvertently crossed the red light by an inch or two. Three days after we received an envelope containing a C D and a letter from Traffic Police Dept. As we played the C D we found ourselves crossing the red light, though marginally. We were fined 400 dollars, amounting to 24000 rupees . Offence committed is recorded on c c tvs. and fine imposed within a period of just 36 hours. No police man is visible on roads still his presence is ever felt. Can we imagine such an efficient system in our country.
However,I would like to express my views towards the improvement of the situation.
POSSIBLE REMEDIES
Firstly, let the Traffic police Dept. run a vigorous campaign through Newspapers, TV and other media, for at least for 15 days advising people to observe Traffic rules failing which strict action would be taken against defaulters. People should be made to realise that this time POLICE MEANS BUSINESS and the defaulters have no way to escape.
Secondly, CCTVs should be installed at vulnerable crossings to record the defaulters violating the rules.
Third, let the Traffic Police officers of  gazetted rank along with the Magistrates be deployed in the two capital cities at prominent places so that the  defaulters are booked and fine not only imposed on spot but realised as well. The places of deployment should be changed every day to maintain the element of surprise
Fourth, about the matadors plying especially in Jammu city. Less said the better as they are the worst offenders and never booked by the police. They stop their vehicles at their convenience and block the traffic for others.
Another major factor of the cause of traffic chaos is the digging of roads by various agencies, like, waterworks, telephone department etc. The roads are dug and left open for days together and seldom black topped. This needs to be controlled and regularized.
And take the case of some commercial organisations like  marriage halls etc. How does the Govt. issue licence to function when they do not have parking space  for  bicycles even.Case in point among many others is a few marriage halls at Trikuta Nagar.  Licence is given to shopkeepers to sell motor parts . He engages a few mechanics for the work in a low key and soon it emerges into a full fledged workshop on road side and the road is reduced by half.
Government should engage the services of a professional agency from outside the state who will conduct the survey, research on the traffic issue 0f the state and come up with the proper solution, guidelines on the subject to streamline the whole system.
ACCOUNTABILITY OF TRAFFIC STAFF
Lastly, the Traffic Police chief of the state should hold a press conference every fortnight and brief the media giving full details of the defaulters booked,vehicles challaned, amount of fine imposed and realized, licenses cancelled and result of the enquiries held in the major accident cases and more important is the disciplinary criminal action taken against police officers who allowed  those overloading of passenger vehicles. He should also ensure that the turnout of the traffic police staff is always excellent.
Last point is that an additional subject ‘ TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT’ be incorporated in the curriculum of the schools  at the very grass root level so that when children are eligible to get license to drive they can have better driving sense.
CONCLUSION
The moot point is that unless and until people in general are made to believe that the traffic rule violation will invite swift and severe punishment, they will not cooperate with the traffic police personnel . Therefore, if the situation will not improve, the traffic scenario will be worse with the addition of thousands of new vehicles coming on the roads every month, the day may not be far off when the traffic management may have to be shifted to some private agency. However, whosoever manages it we pray to face better environment on roads.

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