Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Friday convened a meeting to review the management of traffic in Srinagar City and seek coordinated sustainable plans to ease the traffic situation therein.
RTO Kashmir, SSP Police Srinagar, SSP Traffic Srinagar City, SSP Traffic Rural and senior officers from PWD, SMC and SDA attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that some of the major reasons for traffic congestion in the Srinagar City include ongoing construction of express way between Jahangir Chowk and Bazrzula, illegal parking and encroachments.
It was also said that unregulated movement of sumo vehicles numbering some 30,000 across the Valley adds to the problem. It was said that while Srinagar-based sumo vehicles include 10,000 of the total number those based in rural areas also operate in the Srinagar City, particularly, during summers, thereby leading to traffic congestion
The DC said a comprehensive plan based on a cohesive traffic strategy will have to be worked out in coordination with all the concerned departments, including the Regional Transport, City Traffic Police and District Administration, to address this problem in a sustainable manner, finding concrete solutions to the traffic problem in the City.
In order to discourage illegal parking on roads, it was said that on-road paid parking at identified spots will both serve as a discouragement to illegal parkers and an option for those requiring accessible parking in the time of exigencies.
It was decided that teams comprising officials from RTO, Traffic Police, City Police and District Administration will visit around the City and identify spaces for the purpose.
To tackle the unregulated movement of sumo vehicles resulting in traffic congestion within the Srinagar City, it was said that segregation based on color-coding of sumo vehicles operating in Kashmir should offer a solution to the problem. The DC also instructed for removal of unregistered sumo stands in Srinagar.
It was also decided that the SSP City Traffic Police in coordination with the RTO Kashmir will devise a requirement plan of vehicles for intra-city traffic movement.
The meeting also discussed a revised route plan for mini-buses being currently devised in coordination between the concerned departments. It was said that the plan will be adopted in due course.
In order to address concerns of passengers coming from North Kashmir being stopped at Parimpora, the RTO was asked to make immediate adequate arrangements of vehicles at Parimpora and Pantha Chowk for those passengers who need to travel to Lal Chowk.
It was instructed during the meeting that illegal sumo vehicles or mini-buses operating outside the erstwhile Batamaloo Bus Stand be immediately removed. SSP City Traffic was asked to ensure that is done.
The DC also directed for shifting the hawkers and street vendors to their identified allotted locations, instructing for designating a dedicated officer for removing encroachments. He directed that an anti-encroachment drive be started in the City and that it must be a regular affair, assuring that the district police will provide all due support to assist therein.