The Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to partially relax the ‘dictatorial’ two-day-a-week restriction on the movement of civilian traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National highway is a welcome move which will provide significant relief to people who use this strategic road for commuting. The ban was put in place to facilitate movement of security forces’ convoys. The government imposed the restrictions days after the suicide bombing in Pulwama which left at least 49 paramilitary CRPF men dead while more than four dozen were injured, bringing India and Pakistan on the brink of a full-fledged war. The restriction barred civilian traffic from plying on the road on Wednesdays and Sundays which had caused great inconvenience to people, especially the government employees, traders, lawyers, doctors and virtually everyone who use this road to reach their professional duties or call of home. The ban had also resulted in genuine concerns over patients getting stuck on the highway while being ferried to medical facilities during emergencies. For such patients, a delay of few seconds or few minutes can make the difference between life and death. Earlier this month, there were reports that a cancer patient had died on way to his home in Doda. The patient’s journey from SKIMS in Srinagar to his home was interrupted consistently due to the highway ban and he passed away before reaching his home. This and other similar developments in the past few weeks since the order came into effect suggest that the ban may not be serving the purpose. In fact, rather than making the highway safe for security forces, the ban may have made it more vulnerable while also taking a toll on the civilians. According to some reports, even the security forces including the Army, CRPF and the J&K Police were not in favour of the ban. But some vested interest in the security administration decided to push the matter without weighing the consequences on ordinary people. Highways are supposed to be the lifelines for any state or economy. In our case, the Srinagar-Jammu highway is the only all-weather road link that connects the landlocked valley with the rest of the world. Making it out of bounds for civilians, especially traders, employees and patients, is nothing more than a reckless decision with ‘authoritarian’ overtones. By modifying the order and making the highway inaccessible for civilians on only one day instead of two, ordinary people will heave a sigh of relief.