HC for removing roadside parking in Srinagar

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 18: Expressing serious concern over the increase of traffic jams and the mess, High Court today directed the Government to inform it about the on road public parking policy and observed that roadside parking be removed.
The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice D S Thakur while castigating the Government for its failure to tackle the day to day traffic jam in the Srinagar city and its outskirts due to on road public parking made by the authorities, directed the Commissioner Transport to come up with the policy according to which these on road parking have been established.
Court has also sought the compliance on the issue of registering the vehicle of an individual as to whether the vehicle owner has the parking facility or not.
In order to streamline the traffic congestion and its allied issues, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has also earlier called meeting with Inspector General of Police Traffic, Commissioner SMC, Road Transport Officer Kashmir and Senior Superintendent of Police traffic to chalk out the manner for addressing the issues of citizens of city Srinagar.
One of the main reasons for traffic jams as submitted by one of the counsel is due to encroachment by shopkeepers on pavements.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation has already prepared a list of 2911 street vendors who were found to be conducting business in different parts of Srinagar city on roads/streets and in the first instance the Corporation has developed five vending zones at SRTC, Partap Park, Khalisa School near Magarmal Bagh, Section-6, Batamaloo, Sector-5, Batamaloo Bandar Khah, Hazuri Bagh behind Block A & B near Children Park.
Apart from this SMC has already identified 47 spots for parking which are made operational. Five of the spots have been outsourced to private agencies while as rest are being run departmentally as on date, about which amicus was asked to file response as regarding these 47 spots and operation thereof.