Changed school timings and traffic hassales

The authorities have again changed the school timings. The schools are now functioning from 9  am to 3 pm within Srinagar municipal limits and from 10 pm to 4 pm in rest of Kashmir. Earlier, due to heat wave the school timings were fixed from 8 am to 1 pm across the Valley.

The authorities are within their right to change the timings as per the requirements after consultation with the concerned stakeholders. When the school buses and cabs are moving on the roads the traffic management should be done more smoothly. It is being seen that massive traffic jamming occurs on several roads when the school buses and cabs move in large number.

Because of the jamming not only the school children suffer, others travelling at that time face problems. As these vehicles leave schools and drive to reach their respective destinations, the jamming begins and takes lot of time to get cleared. Same thing happens in the morning when the children have to travel from homes to schools. The drivers of the school buses and cabs must be made to strictly follow the traffic rules.

There are reports that some of the school vehicles are being driven at a dangerous speed endangering the lives of the children. To avoid such situations the school authorities and the parents of the children must intervene.

The drivers, violating the rules must be made accountable. In a bid to minimise the distance drivers of big school buses move through narrow link roads. Since two heavy vehicles coming from opposite directions cannot cross each other on such narrow roads, massive traffic jamming occurs. This is a routine on a number of link roads. The commuters suffer on regular basis due to it.

The movement of trucks and tippers, on such roads creates more problems at the time when school buses are also moving. The traffic authorities must act tough on those who deliberately, and unnecessarily, cause jamming on roads by violating the rules.

Because of their acts the patients needing emergency treatment are not sometimes able to reach hospitals in time. And in case of fire incident, the fire tenders also do not reach the spot in time.