Some good in smooth & safe flow of traffic as well as safety on roads can be done without any additional costs on exchequer

Making the public infrastructure deliver the services to the society does not cost much additionally on the Exchequer

DAYA SAGAR

It was on 10th June 2022 that the then Chief Secretary J&K Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta ( who had also been a research scholar in the field of Engineering) while addressing a high level meeting (attended also by Additional Chief Secretary Home, Principal Secretary PWD, Commissioner Secretary Transport, Transport Commissioner, IG Traffic, SSP Traffic Jammu, SSP Traffic Kashmir ) over traffic management in the UT of J&K had advised officers of civil and police administration for on priority devising a better traffic management plan with a scientific approach for undoing the so common a menace of unauthorized parking on roads, optimum utilization of the available parking spaces, identification of more parking spaces/ , effective utilization of available men and machinery efficiently, erecting barriers / diversions & enforcement of traffic rules with proper rationale / care / scientific study; and of course particularly keeping in view that the civil societies to have better solutions for self problems which should also reflect from plans. The advice Mr. Mehta had made also included a very sensitive and yielding element which would have not cost much in terms of money additionally and still yielded meaningfully and that was use of the available men & material resources & space effectively. It is now nearly 30 months now since then, should not we introspect how far have the official machinery in J&K and the civil society achieved in relation to management of traffic on the roads in and around Jammu City, It was reported on Dec 20 that Regional transport Officer Jammu of J&K Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) had intensified inspection of vehicles across District Jammu focussing on adherence to traffic rules where in out of the 125 vehicles that were inspected 49 were challaned and 5 were seized which reflects that nearly 42 % of the vehicles out of the vehicles inspected were violators of the rules like riding 2-wheelers without helmet, overloading (P&G) , reckless driving, , underage driving etc and which well speaks of the quality of status even when we are going to land in 2025 and that so particularly about traffic management .

No doubt the vehicles have increased over the years but are we atleast using the available men/ materials and space available efficiently is the question that need be answered,
Often in seminars/ workshops / public meetings main reason for any traffic mess in a city like Jammu is quoted as due to increasing number of local vehicles and limited surface road facilities available; due to slow flow of traffic / jams unplanned road repair works during day time; commuters not observing traffic rules ; VIP /Sr Officer movements ; mal functioning of traffic signals / lights; shortage of staff for regulating traffic; heavy requirement of funds for new roads/ subways/ flyovers. People often name the frequent traffic jams on the Amphalla new Plot Janipur High court Road, BC Road / Rehari Chungi, Rajinder Singh Chowk behind Civil Secretariat , KC Crossing & Shakuntla crossing, Jewal Chowk- Canal roads- Talab – Tillo , Exchange road upto Kachchi Chawani Chowk, different crossings in Gandhinagar colony, Panama Chowk to Railway Station to Channi Himmat rail sub way, road from railway crossing Channi Himmat upto Sector-4 and the like being due to some elements of poor traffic management too even when these days many CCTV cameras are installed and we may find a coulple of traffic police too at the important crossings / signal lights.
No doubt some of the shortfalls may be needing substantial funds like new fly overs / widening of some roads, deployment more infrastructure in the form of men & materials but are the installed cameras l traffic lights being used to book the defaulters adequately is another other question , and in case the answer is yes then the need for nakas to check defaulters with respect to signal breaking , driving without helmet ( even seatbelt in some cases )/ over speeding / using mobile while riding a two wheeler ( even four wheelers in some cases / vehicles using banned bulbs/tubes in vehicle headlights / vehicles not using dipper during the evening / night time / even wrong parking by private / commercial vehicles will be very much reduced and some traffic police from present strength could be deployed elsewhere. But surely position is not like that which could well be seen by the way commercial vehicles are on Vikram Chowk Bahu road and ahead of Vikram Chowk Jammu leading to Satwari Chowk..
We can also not force people to leave city, we can also not force people not to buy new vehicle but we can treat the sufferings related to traffic to some extent by managing the available resources , delivery of services and using space properly. One such exercise done by Jammu Traffic Authorities is very much appreciable where under parting of some roads in by lanes like palace road , Janipur road, some roads at junctions has been done which has really improved the position. Here at places it has been observed that some partition poles are damaged by some people which is not fair and such cases should be reported to police / police should also make use of cameras ( where available ) to book defaulters which will surely discourage such defaults.
There are limited public parking lots available for commuters in the city but many people do not voluntarily use those for which one of the reasons is that what to talk of reasonable parking rate fixing by the government not even the parking charges fixed are displayed prominently , the parking attendant there do not bear identity badges , whom should a commuter approach in case of a difficulty is no where prominently mentioned and people often complain that ‘they’ are demanded unfair rates. These questions cannot be out rightly dismissed since the feedbacks have truth so the parking lot services ( whatever available ) have to be made more commuter friendly. To meet the needs for unavoidable parking requirements of community even on roads ( inside city/ outer places) where ever the roads are wide ( particularly where one way lanes are marked) let there be created space for parking 2 to 3 vehicles at intervals so that some genuine / emergency needs be met ( like along the Palace road where one way laning has been done, like new Plot Janipur road etc ).
In Jammu there is no regular taxi / three wheeler service available where a commuter can travel at fair fixed rates fixed the transport department / where a cab taxi or three wheeler taxi runs on metered rates and so many gentleman people prefer to use their private vehicles to avoid dispute but in case cab taxi / three wheeler taxi service is disciplined so as to run by meter atleast 30 % to 40% people may not take out their private car for short distance/ local use which may reasonably reduce the private cars on roads in addition to making movements easier for people. Why can not the Government make the Taxi run on meter is not understood ? ( ofcourse the rates have to fixed involving civil society too for Parking Lots as well as Taxies).
Another menace these days in cities like Jammu is of road side parking ( that too in haphazard way) if road of cars/ two wheelers on the roads in front of clinics/ coaching centres etc which causes in convenience to commuters, locals and even there are scuffles between people. This has to be streamlined . Not only that some people are using the main roads for day-night parking obstructing the normal traffic. Why that is allowed is not understood .
Not only that there are also some people who park their vehicles during day/ Night not in their own streets / lanes but also in other areas / mohallas which should have been checked by the enforcement departments but is continuing. Such practices can cause inconvenience to local residents / there are disputes/ quarrels and there could also be some vehicles of unfair credentials parked regularly by outsiders. People often talk of such cases but local police should take care on their own instead of people waiting to complain since such cases are not isolated.
Ofcourse the Traffic Management is in the hands of best lot of our ‘young’ force which qualifies for Indian Police Service as well as JKP Service and therefore the references being made here are just a feedback worth assisting them in their work suggesting that within limitations may be there are still some costless methods that could reduce traffic on roads, reduce accidents during day/ night, increase the speed of traffic flow . Some very useful reforms already done like putting road dividers in some segments ,providing some marked parking spaces on the road side in some markets where roads space was available, provision of some road slips, passenger vehicle stops have been marked at some places ( although very less used).
But much more needs to be done.
To be Continued (The writer is Sr. Journalist, leading scribe on Kashmir affairs)