Thaindian News

Jammu, Dec 30 (IANS) This is one old world charm that the two capitals of Jammu and Kashmir can do without. Despite an increasing number of vehicles, Jammu and Srinagar still do not have a single traffic signal and are making do with hapless traffic policemen who are given the short shrift by rowdy drivers.

Winter capital Jammu has about 350 km of roads and 436,368 registered vehicles.

“The number of vehicles is huge as compared to the road space. Moreover, the number excludes the vehicles of tourists, pilgrims and security forces. You can imagine how difficult it is to manage in the absence of any traffic regulating technology,” state Inspector General of Police (Traffic) H.K. Lohia told IANS.

Summer capital Srinagar is somewhat better off, with 1,263 km of roads and some 180,000 registered vehicles.

The entire state has a road network of about 12,000 km and 810,494 registered vehicles.

Lohia said railways and other projects have contributed to about 1,000 km of roads across the state.

By March 2012, both Jammu and Srinagar cities will get traffic signals and this will reduce the pressure on the around 1,000 traffic personnel in the state, Lohia said.

The common man, meanwhile, is bearing the brunt of the situation.

“I get exhausted driving in this unruly traffic. Driving even three kilometres in Jammu is tiring as you do not know from where you are going to get hit. Matadors, autorickshaws and scooters are free to turn from anywhere, stop anywhere, speed as much or disobey any traffic cop,” Padam Singh Jamwal, a 27-year-old Jammu-based businessman, told IANS.

College student Sunita Khosa felt the traffic policemen are to be blamed for the mess.

“They allow the vehicles to violate rules. If they penalise the violators heavily instead of being concerned about their palms being greased, we can get some relief,” she said.

Responding to the charges, Lohia said: “We do not have any provision for heavy penalties. At the most, we can fine Rs.2,000 and that too for drunken driving or overloading. Most violators prefer getting court challans as touts help them go scot free. We have sent a proposal to the government for powers of heavy penalty and strong action against violators.”

Speaking to IANS on condition of anonymity, a transport department official said the transport sector of the state is “highly politicised”.

“The reason for this is that from the beginning, the transport sector was dominated by people who were either politicians or had strong political connections. They did not allow any transport policy to be introduced in the state,” he said.

As a populist measure, the government kept issuing vehicle permits to “appease or win over politicians”, he said.
He was of the view that the traffic chaos and violation of rules was the result of a transport sector dominated by politicians.

“The culture here is that violating drivers are set free due to political pressure,” he added.

The other main problem is the lack of a database or computerisation of records that can help in formulating a policy and also apprehending traffic offenders.

“Only some percentage of vehicle records are computerised, while others are still on paper. So it becomes difficult to identify the errant vehicle.

“Technological support like traffic lights, computerised traffic control room and CCTVs are vital for ensuring orderly traffic in the state,” the official observed.

(Binoo Joshi can be contacted at binoo.j@ians.in)