Tengpora Accident Aftermath: Drive against minor, unlicensed drivers reaches rural Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 23: Death of two school going teenage boys in an accident at Tengpora here last week has led to the authorities carrying out a massive drive against the unlicensed drivers, minors and road encroachers across Kashmir.

“We are ensuring that no minors are allowed to drive two or four wheelers. If the minors are spotted on the steering, their vehicles are seized,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic Adil Ahmed, who was seen checking the vehicles near Exhibition crossing in the heart of the city.

The DySP said that Police are doing their job and people need to come forward to play their role. “It’s the responsibility of the parents to ensure that minors don’t get access to the vehicles,” he added.

The campaign against the minors driving the vehicles and other law breakers which commenced in Srinagar has reached the rural areas.

Superintendent of Police Traffic Rural, R P Singh, along with his team appeared in Ganderbal on Saturday. He got the encroachments on the roads cleared and advised the shopkeepers not to block the roads. “You displaying goods on the roads becomes one of the causes of the accidents,” Singh told the shopkeepers.

The SP Traffic (Rural) was seen counselling the bike riders about the importance of the driving license and taking precautions. “We are going to intensify our drives against the people who violate the law. So far we have achieved 10 to 20% success but we have set a target of reaching 70 to 80% in our endeavour,” Singh told reporters.

He warned shopkeepers of stringent action under law if they “don’t mend their ways.”

The SP Traffic (Rural) stressed on the need to park the vehicles at the designated parking places. “Wrong parking is also a major concern in the rural areas. The vehicle operators who have set up their stands illegally should either get these places legalised or vacate these spots,” he added.

Singh said that the Traffic policemen have taken a pledge to inculcate the sense of responsibility among the people.

Pertinently, on November 14, two teenage school boys died and another suffered critical injuries after their speeding vehicle crashed into a parked truck before ramming a divider at Tengpora on the National Highway.

The tragic accident plunged entire Kashmir into mourning and since that day authorities have taken stringent measures to curb the underage driving and address other violations on the roads.