*JMC too refuses to clear encroachments on roadsides
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: People of Jammu city and its outskirts have been suffering a lot due to massive traffic jamming on various roads as the cops in blue have virtually surrendered to the prevailing situation and do not consider traffic regulation as part of their duty.
Though Traffic Police personnel have been deployed on every main rotary and crossing of Jammu city but still confusion and chaos is prevailing on all the roads mainly because the cops are only bothered about meeting the targets of challans fixed for them by the senior officers.
The vehicular chaos on Ambphalla Chowk to Roop Nagar road via Janipur, Jewel Chowk to Canal Road and Talab Tillo and Akhnoor Road, Bakshi Nagar to Akhnoor Road, K C Crossing to Ambphalla Chowk besides almost all the roads of old Jammu city stand testimony to the performance of the Traffic Police.
What to talk of day timing these roads witness huge traffic jams even during the late evening hours thereby indicating that Traffic Police is only meant for stopping load carriers, tractor trolleys, inter-state vehicles and small passenger vehicles. If they get some spare time from getting their palms greased from operators of these vehicles, they shift their focus to private vehicles like cars and scooters to check the petty offences but the major offences and violations particularly by the mini-buses and buses do not receive any focus from these cops.
This can be gauged from the fact that three groups of Traffic Police personnel have been deployed between K C Crossing to Dental College Chowk but they are rarely seen regulating vehicular traffic and primarily their focus remain on load carriers and inter-state vehicles besides small passenger vehicles like Tata Sumos and Wingers etc.
Even if some commuters bring violations by mini-buses and buses to the notice of cops deployed on the roads they refuse to take action for obvious reasons. An ordinary man can easily point out several violations by mini-buses and buses and blind eye towards such violators by the cops in blue but the senior police officers do not find anything wrong in their field staff, which also raises many doubts among the common masses about their efficiency and integrity.
The senior Traffic Police officers can rarely be seen personally visiting the busiest areas for themselves to assess the situation, which has gone from bad to worst during these days. The prevailing state of affairs clearly indicates that cops in blue have virtually surrendered to the situation and are not answerable to anybody in the State Government.
When the 4th bridge on River Tawi near Bhagwati Nagar was thrown open for the vehicular traffic it was stated that traffic congestion will ease in many parts of old Jammu city but there is no improvement on the ground and traffic chaos on both sides of this bridge has become a routine. This is mainly because Traffic Police personnel don’t give any priority to the regulation of traffic.
The cops deployed at Canal Head near Women Cell suddenly appear on the road only when any load carrier is seen moving to and fro 4th bridge and during traffic congestions they are rarely seen on the road.
Some commuters, who remained trapped in jamming for several hours on Janipur-Ambphalla and Janipur-Rehari Road via Sarwal last evening told EXCELSIOR that neither cops in blue nor police personnel from concerned Police Stations and Police Posts were seen anywhere on these roads despite the fact that SHOs and Incharge of Police Posts have standing instructions about regulating traffic in their respective jurisdictions particularly during odd hours.
Besides Traffic Police, even Jammu Municipal Corporation is also responsible for traffic congestions on the roads as those at the helm of affairs never bothered to clear the footpaths of the encroachments by the shopkeepers, which compel the pedestrians to move on the roads.
The ‘Reharies’ selling eatables and other goods on the sides of the roads are also contributing to the traffic jamming as whosoever intends to make purchases stops vehicle on the road. Such a scene can easily be seen on Akhnoor road. However, this aspect is neither receiving the attention of Jammu Municipal Corporation nor Traffic Police.
“The contractor, who has given us these Reharies on daily wage basis, has strong understanding with the concerned authorities of the Municipal Corporation as such nobody stops us from selling eatables by parking Reharies on the road side”, said a vendor.
“We can be bailed out of the prevailing chaos only when Governor N N Vohra acts tough against Traffic Police and JMC officers”, some people told EXCELSIOR, adding “if necessary corrective steps are not initiated the situation would compound in future as every year thousands of vehicles are added to the already burgeoning number of vehicles on the roads”.
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