After the reopening of schools more traffic jamming is being witnessed on the roads in Srinagar city during the peak hours of morning and evening. The commuters get stuck for long on some of the routes.
The repair work or other developmental works under Srinagar Smart City Project are causing jamming at many places. While the development work has to continue, the concerned authorities will have to see as to how the traffic is regulated through these areas and that there is no disruption in the movement of vehicles.
After the end of the winter, and with the onset of spring, more vehicles have added on the roads due to movement till late evening hours and increase in the movement of people from other places towards the city on daily basis.
The traffic rush will increase further in summer. The traffic police department has been trying for smooth movement of vehicles but due to increasing rush in peak hours, problems are being faced. But measures have to be found out how this problem is solved.
There is a need of more traffic police personnel on important roads and crossings. An unmanned crossing witnesses massive jamming at times as vehicles at a time come from different directions and nobody regulates those.
Traffic lights were installed at a number of important crossings several years back. But the traffic lights have been made non-functional and the crossings closed at some places. Due to the closure of crossings, the drivers have to cover a lot of distance to take a U-turn.
Closing of a crossing leads to extra rush on other roads and jamming also occurs. Secondly, because of the closed crossing, the crossing of road by the pedestrians becomes difficult more particularly on Srinagar Bypass Highway.
Repeated demands by the commuters and pedestrians to reopen the crossings have not been met. There is a need to install more traffic lights in the city. Alternative routes should be used by commuters instead of the roads having heavy rush of vehicles during peak hours.
Some officials also suggest to people to leave slightly early if possible in the morning and evening to reduce the rush during peak hours.
The traffic department must take more measures to reduce the increasing jamming on roads and the people must also cooperate to implement the measures.