Riding two-wheelers without helmet top traffic violation in Srinagar this year

Srinagar, Dec 19: Traffic Police has issued 3.8 lakh e-challans against various traffic violations in the summer capital this year.

As per the data accessed by Greater Kashmir, the traffic police in Srinagar issued 3.8 lakh e-challans by mid of December 2023.

The data shows that commuters were mostly penalised for not wearing helmets, wrong parking, overloading, and disobeying traffic signals.

The data shows that Traffic Police issued a total of 385900 e-challans for various traffic violations in Srinagar till the middle of 2023.

2023’s data suggests that riding without a helmet is the top traffic violation done by commuters in Srinagar, with 101872 challans issued for the same. Other top traffic violations include obstructive parking with 21213 challans, wrong parking with 95797 challans, and overloading in passenger vehicles with 26055 Challans.

In addition to this, the traffic Police issued at least 20345 challans for driving without seat belts, 25904 for red light jump, and 17583 for disobeying traffic signals. Traffic police have also issued 3671 challans for vehicles without High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP ).

The officials in traffic police said that this year the department cracked down on other violations to inculcate responsible driving behaviour. They said that the police also tightened the noose around visible offenses like using mobile phones while driving and triple riding by two-wheelers.

Data suggests that 2235 challans were issued against causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic, 3154 challans for using mobile phones while driving, and 9407 for triple riding on two-wheelers. The officials said that they penalized 517 people for misbehaving and using abusive language while commuting. The data further reveals that 4200 vehicles were seized this year, and only 6096 challans were issued manually throughout the year.

In an exclusive conversation with Greater Kashmir on the yearlong traffic violations and other issues, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, SSP Traffic, City Srinagar, said that over the year, they focused on visible offenses. He said that their focus next year will be hassle-free movement of traffic and fully installing systems like traffic lights to ensure hassle-free flow of traffic.

“Majority of the challans have been issued on visible offenses. We will do more next year, and things like better traffic light systems and removal of diversions will be prioritized for the smooth flow of traffic. We have almost moved completely towards e-challans which has made it convenient for everyone,” Shah said.

He said that safe driving and a focus on pedestrian safety will be prioritised to ensure that lives are saved.

“We are also planning to launch a massive drive throughout next year against stunt biking, and we will continue to counsel youngsters over the issue,” he added.