Srinagar, Aug 16: For the past few days, gridlocks have become a routine scene at Jehangir Chowk, particularly in the afternoons till Iftaar, while the traffic police and other concerned authorities seem to be failing to streamline the vehicular flow.
 It takes around half- an- hour or even more to cross the few meters of Jehangir Chowk, a vital connect between Lal Chowk and other half of the City centre.

MINI BUS EFFECT
 To a common man the problem looks more because of the frequent halting by passenger minibuses, dozens of which traverse the square atleast from three sides at a time.
 Even though the buses aren’t supposed to take a halt at the busy square the traffic cops are seen allowing them to do so. And the result is quite obviuous. As  scores of minibuses attempt to take a halt, it has a cascading effect on the entire flow of traffic and vehicles come to a halt amid deafening horns from all sides.

FOOTPATH VENDING
 As if surge in the vehicle flow wasn’t enough, by afternoon, the number of footpath vendors swells in the area –mocking at the working of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the civic body which had to keep a check on the roadside encroachments. But over the past few months, the SMC has failed to launch a massive drive to keep a check on the menace.

AUTO- RICKSHAWS
 With no government agency apparently concerned to keep a check on the Jehangir Chowk developments, auto-rickshaws from various areas come to get parked at the square only to wait for passengers.
 “Neither the police nor the RTO feels bothered to keep a check on the stray autorickshaws,” said an annoyed  bus passenger stuck in a jam.

PEDESTRIAN FACTOR
 With government failing to install any electronic signals, or lay Zebra crossings  at the site, the padesterians are seen making a typical hit and trial to cross the busy junction thereby affecting the traffic flow.

POLICE SPEAKS
 City’s traffic police head Maqsood Ul Zaman said the problem has come to his notice.
 “But actually there’s no traffic jam. The vehicles only slow down due huge traffic rush and shortage of space,” he said.
 He, however said, the traffic police has deployed a DSP on special duty to monitor traffic regulation in the area. “We are trying our best,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST