Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 20: The High Court today directed various departments to implement the suggestions submitted by the Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic City Srinagar regarding de-congestion of traffic and file Action Taken Report (ATR) to these suggestions before the court on next date.
In compliance of earlier order whereby SSP Traffic, Sargun Shukla, was directed to submit her 10 points before the Court in order to eradicate the traffic mess in and around the city, submitted the same before the court which are to be implemented by different departments.
In her 10 points, the SSP stated that there should be complete removal of road encroachments (be it vendors or on road display of goods by shopkeepers) by the SMC. She further stated that creation of paid parking zones inside the CBD and on road parking to be made costlier than off road parking.
“Removal of structures that have created a bottleneck at the Qamarwari chowk to relieve the traffic congestion and to realign the divider on the road for equal space on each side and commercialization of residential areas to be stopped and restored to its actual position”, the SSP suggested.
Division Bench of Chief Justice Badar Durez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey directed the SMC to take immediate steps about these suggestions and file the Action Taken Report (ATR) before the Court on next date in this regard.
Suggestion about expediting the work on the Rambagh flyover with greater impetus on night shifts till the completion of flyover and macadamization of road from Rambagh to Naaz crossing. Court said this point related to Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) and directed the agency to take action on this issue and submit the ATR before the Court.
Court directed the State transport authorities about the suggestion of segregation of Inter city and Intra city transport including buses, Sumos, Taveras and 407 type vehicle to be done and the timetable and stops for each type of vehicle to be fixed and displayed at conspicuous places by the transport authority to be available on line as well for the convenience of general public.
About the shifting of General Bus Stand Batamaloo to Parimpora and removal of shops dealing with the scrap and condemned vehicles outside the general bus stand who as per the SSP’s report have occupied a huge space of the road for dumping the condemned vehicles, court directed Divisional Commissioner Kashmir along with SDA to take action and file his ATR on next date.
Another suggestion which the SSP has given is that Labour Commissioner should enforce the slated holidays of different markets and trades on different days of the week. Court, in this regard, sought ATR from Labour Commissioner by next date.
One more suggestion which the SSP has given is usage of vehicle immobilizers like wheel clamps be allowed to check wrong parking. Court said though it related to traffic department itself and directed for ATR from traffic in this regard on next date.
The R&B department has been directed to file the ATR about the construction work of an alternate bridge to Abdullah Bridge to decongest the traffic on Radio Kashmir Srinagar as also the construction work at Cement Bridge at Qamarwari.
Divisional Commissioner has also submitted the report in terms of previous directions as he was directed to constitute a committee headed by him and Commissioner SMC, Transport Commissioner as also VC SDA as its members to chalk out the plan of action for reducing the traffic congestion and directed the committee to meet once in a month with other stake holders for effective plans on the issues of traffic jamming.
Divisional Commissioner in this regard ordered for formulation of sub-committees that shall report to Divisional Commissioner after making survey to see the encroachments and other hurdles in smooth plying of traffic.
These sub-committees have undertaken a survey and submitted a report to Divisional Commissioner which has been placed before the court with the submission that these sub-committees have been asked for fresh survey and removal of all encroachments.
Meantime, Court directed SMC to ensure functioning of street as well as traffic lights in the city and SSP has been further directed to find out non-functional traffic lights and inform SMC authorities about it so that these lights are made functional.
Court directed the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to establish measurement of ambit noise levels in the silent zone areas during day and night. It observed that Hospital, Courts, Educational Institutions etc as provided in law must be in no horn zones and directed the PCB as its monitoring committee to maintain such regulation.
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