Dalgate-Jehangir Chowk stretch to be 'No ply Zone' for e-rickshaws

Srinagar, Nov 14: Amid the persistent traffic congestion in Srinagar city, authorities are mulling to ban on the movement of e-rickshaws on the Dalgate-Jehangir Chowk stretch to reduce the traffic congestion.

The move is part of the decongestion plan formulated by the authorities to ease the traffic movement across the city.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic (City), Ajaz Ahmad Bhat, said the authorities are working to make traffic movement smooth in the city.

"In the coming future, we will make some decisions regarding the regulation of traffic. The government is considering stopping the e-rickshaw movement on a stretch from Jehangir Chowk to Dalgate. The area will be designated as a No Ply Zone for them," Bhat said.

As already reported by this newspaper, Srinagar city is witnessing a rapid growth of e-rickshaws, adding to the traffic woes across the city and causing difficulties for commuters.

These e-rickshaws are plying on roads without any registration, and often, minors are seen driving these three-wheelers.

As a policy in vogue, the concerned authorities have not made registration of these battery-operated vehicles mandatory for plying on roads.

But the dealers are registered with the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) and are providing these battery-operated vehicles to people.

Earlier, Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir Qazi Irfan told Greater Kashmir that the department was mulling creating colour-coded zones for these e-rickshaws and would be strictly asked to ply on the designated routes.

Earlier, a meeting of officials was convened to deliberate on the decongestion of the city wherein it was decided that the government would notify no-entry zones for e-rickshaws.

SSP Traffic Srinagar, said the government will also make designated bus stops for the mini buses across the city so that these vehicles do not haphazardly stop at any spot.

"We have seen that these minibuses make stops anywhere in the middle of the road, but now they will make stops on designated bus stops only," he said.

SSP Traffic further said that on some routes will be designated as one way for minibuses and smart city buses.

"The areas include Rajouri Kadal to Hawal and Khanyar," he said.

He said these initiatives are being taken to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the city, particularly in those areas that experience traffic congestion during peak hours.

About the enforcement, SSP Traffic said that owing to limited manpower, they do not have time for enforcement. "But as and when we get time, we go for enforcement. This year, the challan rate has gone down compared to last year. This year we made challans worth Rs 2.5 lacs as compared to four lakhs last year," he said.

He said that last year, challans were generated virtually wherein traffic cops would click a picture of the vehicle. "But in that process, there used to be a lot of liability. This year, we have done away with virtual Challan. We stop the vehicle, check the document, and challan the driver for any violation," he said.