The prolonged failure of traffic signals across Jammu city has turned what should have been a routine urban inconvenience into a full-blown civic crisis. For months now, the majority of traffic lights installed under the much-hyped Intelligent Traffic Management System have remained non-functional, pushing the city into daily chaos. What was projected as a smart, technology-driven solution to congestion has instead exposed deep flaws in planning, execution and accountability, leaving ordinary commuters to bear the brunt. This is not an isolated or sudden breakdown. The uncomfortable truth is that Jammu’s traffic lights have been problematic almost since their installation. Several signals-outside the Civil Secretariat, near Women College Parade, at Kachi Chawni Chowk and many other locations-were either poorly sited or never functioned optimally. Over time, instead of being corrected, many of these installations were quietly abandoned. This history itself underlines that the problem is structural, not incidental. Faulty planning at the outset, followed by years of neglect, has now culminated in a citywide traffic paralysis.
The irony is stark. Crores of rupees were invested under the Jammu Smart City project to modernise traffic management, yet the non-functional signals today are like rubbing salt on the wounds of commuters already struggling with congestion, poor road discipline and endless construction works. Instead of easing movement, the broken system has amplified disorder at almost every major junction. For the common commuter, the impact is relentless and personal. Office-goers are late almost daily, students miss school hours, and patients struggle to reach hospitals on time. With traffic lights dead, intersections descend into a free-for-all, forcing drivers to inch forward aggressively while pedestrians risk their lives navigating moving vehicles.
The situation is further aggravated by external pressures. Major construction work at Satwari Chowk, Kunjwani Chowk and along the entire Narwal Road has reduced road capacity significantly. Winter migration traffic from Kashmir and Ladakh, the Darbar Move, and the ongoing marriage season have added thousands of extra vehicles to already choked roads. In such conditions, the absence of a functional traffic signal system is not just an inconvenience-it is an administrative failure. Equally troubling is the failure of the Jammu Municipal Corporation to address footpath encroachments. With pavements occupied by vendors and illegal structures, pedestrians are forced onto the roads, narrowing carriageways and worsening congestion. Reharis and street vendors have become major bottlenecks due to the absence of regulated vending zones. The result is slower traffic, increased accident risk and rising tempers.
The environmental cost cannot be ignored either. Endless idling in traffic jams leads to massive wastage of fuel and pushes pollution levels to hazardous limits. Jammu’s air quality, already under strain in winter, deteriorates further as vehicles crawl bumper-to-bumper for hours. While traffic lights remain defunct, challan cameras continue to function efficiently. Drivers trapped in jams or forced to take evasive manoeuvres in the absence of clear signals often end up penalised. This selective enforcement deepens public resentment, as commuters feel punished for systemic failures beyond their control.
Manual traffic regulation is no substitute but the only viable solution. Deploying personnel primarily for challan collection while traffic remains at a standstill defeats the very purpose of traffic management. Redeployment of traffic police has to be ensured by the authorities. What is urgently required is not cosmetic repair work but a comprehensive, ground-level plan. Authorities must reassess signal locations, ensure their proper functioning and integrate them with real-time traffic needs. Traffic police already possess detailed data on bottlenecks-this must be used to redesign flow patterns. Strict one-way routes, enforced no-entry zones, and fully manned roundabouts during peak hours are immediate necessities. Encroachments must be cleared decisively, and additional road space created wherever possible.
Ultimately, the onus lies collectively with the district administration, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu Smart City Limited and the Traffic Police. Cutting sorry figures and issuing routine assurances will not unclog Jammu’s roads. The city needs decisive action, accountability and planning rooted in reality. Until then, the promise of a “smart” traffic system will remain hollow, and Jammu’s commuters will continue to pay the price every single day.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
