Tengpora bypass accident sparks probe into 2nd vehicle’s involvement

Srinagar, Nov 18: Days after the Tengpora road accident, Police started the investigations to probe the involvement of the second Thar vehicle, which escaped from the accident spot.

On November 14, two teenagers lost their lives as their vehicle collided with a tipper near Tengpora on the Srinagar Bypass.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, a top Police official said that they started the investigations into the matter to probe the involvement of the second Thar vehicle.

“We have started the investigations. Everything related to the case will be made public as and when the investigations are carried forward,” a top official said.

Earlier, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic (City), Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said that the investigations into the case revealed that the two Thar vehicles were in a racing competition and the one which escaped from the accident already had four challans.

A top official said the second Thar vehicle had been seized by the Traffic Police (Srinagar) Department and the boys driving the car had been “reprimanded” as well.

“Let the local Police, particularly the local police station, complete the investigation into the case. Further details will be revealed accordingly,” a top Police official said.

Post-Tengpora accident, questions are being raised over the school management for allowing underage students to drive four-wheelers and two-wheelers to their school.

"After parents, it is the responsibility of school management to put a check on under-age boys or girls driving four-wheelers or two-wheelers to the schools. The management should not allow these students to enter the school premises while driving vehicles,” an official said.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, President of Private Schools Association J&K (PSAJK) Ghulam Nabi Var said that strict actions would be taken against the management of all private schools for allowing under-age students to drive four-wheelers or two-wheelers to enter the schools' premises or park their vehicles in the designated parking space of the school.

“The schools should be strict about it and I expect that all the schools will act on it,” Var said.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat chaired a meeting of the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) as its chairman and stressed adopting a multi-pronged strategy by all line departments for strengthening road safety and better traffic regulation in the district.

He stressed all the officers to be proactive in the implementation of the Road Safety Action Plan on a priority basis for better management of the traffic system.

He stressed to the concerned officers to take all required measures to decongest the city roads to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Post the tragic accident near Tengpora Bypass in Srinagar, complaints are pouring in that the service lanes remain mostly occupied by heavy vehicles which remain regularly parked in the area illegally.

“Besides cabs coming from north Kashmir remain parked on the Tengpora Bypass. These cabs have made Tengpora Bypass as their temporary stand and passengers board these vehicles at the same spot," said Nisar Ahmad, a resident of Tengpora.

He said that the service lane and the Batamaloo-Tengpora bus stop should remain decongested for the convenience of the public. “It remains to be seen how these cabs are allowed to remain parked there. On the other side of the road, trucks remain parked on the service lane, occupying it illegally,” he said.

However, SSP Traffic (City) Muzaffar Ahmad Shah told Greater Kashmir that strict orders had been issued to the Traffic Police personnel manning the area to clear the service lanes and other spots. “Vehicles used to be parked on service lanes a few days ago but now no vehicles are parked there,” he said.