The violation of traffic rules, particularly in late hours has not only created traffic mess in the city, but have created death traps at several sensitive and accident prone points.
The major and frequent violation observed is on Ram Bagh fly over, where commuters coming from Natipora towards Jehangir chowk , instead of choosing the right tube, take on the wrong tube which is reserved for one way traffic from Jehangir Chowk to Natipora and Barzallah. The situation gets worse after the dusk hours, when not only the two wheeler riders endanger themselves and others by entering into the wrong tube, but also three and four wheelers choose the wrong way to save fuel and time.
During the day a traffic constable is once in a while seen near Barzallah joint, but once the sun sets, the post is being abandoned, leaving the violators at free will to turn their vehicles in-to killing machines, by entering the wrong tube, while authorities in traffic department are unconcerned towards the gross violation of traffic, despite being fully aware about it.
A commuter from Hyderpora, Mohammad Sadiq Beigh, who uses Rambagh fly over daily, while expressing his concern over the practice said , “Using flyover has become a matter of life and death for the commuters, as you never know that you may all of a sudden collide with any vehicle coming from opposite direction and end up in a hospital or a grave”.
Another violation which is a matter of equal concern is the same practice of using entering in-to wrong tube on Pantha Chowk Shalteng Bypass, particularly on the stretch from from Tengepora to Fruit Mandi, where even during the day vehicle owners drive in opposite direction. The Highway has no cut from Bemina Crossing to Fruit Mandi and the risk becomes worth taking for those who in a bid to save fuel and time, avoid to take a U turn at specific points and drive on the wrong side of the tube and thus endangering their own lives and of those, who follow the rules.
In extremely busy area of Sanat Nagar, the local crossing witnesses a heavy jam during the day, despite being manned by traffic signals, police and army personnel, but in the evenings no one is there regulate the traffic according to the signal, while commuters are freely jumping the traffic lights, which at several occasions in past has resulted in loss of life.
This strategically important Sanat Nagar crossing on National Highway, besides being used by a huge number of all types of private vehicles, is an important crossing point for Military , Paramilitary and Air force convoys, which travel to and fro throughout the day and also by the army, air force and BEACON stations located in Rangreth. Although the presence of traffic and forces personnel makes the passage safe, despite being inconvenient due to the heavy movement of vehicles, resulting in long jams, but once the convoy movement is over, particularly in the late hours, the crossing gets turned into a death trap, by over speeding vehicles and traffic violators, who give a damn about the traffic signals.
At Jehangir Chowk a big impediment has been created without a reason by unnecessarily diverting traffic coming from Budshah Bridge towards Hari Singh High Street and then a U-turn towards underpass of flyover, instead of giving the traffic a straight passage, which creates a mess in the shape of huge Jams and non-stop inconvenience to the commuters throughout the day, while traffic authorities are unconcerned about putting their head together to solve the problem of traffic mess in the city. (CNS)
