Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Even though Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has witnessed 50 percent increase in traffic since 2008, there has been little road widening over these years.
Sources said the inadequate traffic personnel for manning the traffic movement in the State was main reason for traffic mess and the narrow roads had turned the situation worse.
According to the official figures of traffic department, the number of vehicles in J&K was 6,68, 445 in 2008. In 2009, it gained7.77 percent increase and reached upto 7,37,581.
While as in the year 2010, 2011, 2012; it increased traffic percentage of 10.34, 11.92 and 11.98 percent respectively and their number reached to 9,16,898 in the State by 2012.
According to the official figures available with Regional Transport Office (RTO) Srinagar, about 5,000 new private vehicles are added to the roads in Kashmir every month and in Jammu over 7000 vehicles and the State has now over13 lakh vehicles with 6 lakh in the Valley and 7 lakh in Jammu.
"Least road widening has been done over the years while number of vehicles has increased to 13 lakh from 6,68, 445 in 2008. While as less than 10 percent road widening has been done during this period of time," a senior official of Traffic Department said.
Official sources said the rash driving by the ill-experienced drivers was the main reason for increasing road accidents in the State.
The percentage of deaths in road accidents in the Valley is 66 percent as compared to the 37 percent at the national level.
Figures reveal that in 2013, around 2256 road mishaps were reported, killing 353 and injuring 3033 people. Since 2011, up to December 2015, over 5000 people have been killed across the State and more than 40,000 people have been injured in over 24,000 road accidents.
During 2011-2012, about 50509 licenses were issued in Kashmir while in 2012-13 its number was 45,913.
However, he said licenses were being issued even to minors and many do not qualify the driving test which is mandatory for getting the license.
He said the government has failed to widen the roads as various road widening projects have been stalled due to ill-planning.
A senior traffic official said traffic jams were primarily a result of failure in planning by other departments.
He said traffic police was delivering its best to cope the traffic mess as there has been alarming increase in traffic vehicles.
"The upper authorities have to take the decision as no major recruitment drive has been conducted in the past decade. We are not able to cater the traffic movement due to inadequate number of traffic personnel," an official said. |
