Traffic diversions hit vehicular movement in Srinagar

Srinagar, Oct 2: Commuters have expressed resentment against traffic diversions at vital junctions saying such hurdles cause traffic jams in various city areas.

Office goers, students, and other passengers complained that they are having a tough time due to traffic diversions.

“Traffic bottlenecks across various junctions in Srinagar are taking toll on us,” said Ashiq Ahmad, a local pointing towards traffic diversion at MA Road.

Commuters said that traffic diversions at Badyari Crossing, MA Road, Rajouri Kadal and Hawal add to the traffic mess.

“Instead of diversions, if more traffic cops are deployed at these junctions, we will have a sigh of relief. During peak hours, navigating through city traffic is like going through a maze. We are stuck in traffic for hours mainly due to diversions. Essential services like ambulances and other vehicles are stuck in traffic, which makes it life-threatening,” said Abdul Hamid another commuter.

At MA Road, commuters plying from Downtown are forced to take u-turn near TRC Junction due to prolonged traffic diversion near Sangarmaal junction leading towards Lal Chowk.

The commuters said the dilapidated roads and ongoing development work have left many vital routes in shambles. In downtown areas, the lying around material and potholes also contribute to the issue of traffic jams.

“This also affects our vehicles, which need maintenance every few weeks. These issues are not only crippling traffic but also burning a hole in our pockets. Many roads in Srinagar are still full of potholes and need immediate repairs. The material lying around is also making the commute dangerous,” said Farooq Ahmad, another commuter from downtown.

SSP Traffic Srinagar City, Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said that the authorities are resorting to diversions only as a temporary measure.

“At some spots, traffic diversions are in place only temporarily. Sometimes during peak hours, we place these to ensure that traffic is not crippled for long. We are ensuring to resort to diversion only as the last option. These traffic diversions will also be removed so commuters won’t face any issues,” Shah said.