Srinagar, Oct 30: To facilitate smooth movement of Hajjis on the south City highway, which houses the Hajj House in Bemina wherefrom the aspirants leave for the Holy pilgrimage, the Army this year changed its convoy timings, something which had been unheard of in the past over 20 years of turmoil in the Valley.
 Given the past few years of precedence to restrict vehicular movement on the Bemina Bypass where one of the two tubes are temporarily dedicated for exclusive movement of pilgrims, there used to be heavy flow of vehicles on the other lane. All this would lead to frequent gridlocks on the highway.
 This year, the Traffic Police is understood to have requested the Army to alter its convoy timing to avoid any clash with the movement of Hajjis.
 Sources said Superintendent of Police Traffic Maqsood Ul Zaman had written a letter to Army apprising them about the expected problem.
 The Army is learnt to have picked up the issue with Lt General Syed Atta Hassnain, who as a goodwill gesture didn’t mind altering the convoy timings.
 “Army did it as a goodwill gesture in the interest of people because it didn’t want aspiring pilgrims to face any inconvenience because of the convoy movement,” said a source.
 Pertinently, for quite sometime, the SP Traffic, Maqsood Ul Zaman has been trying innovations in a bid to streamline City traffic. His picking up the convoy issue with the Army was the latest.
 Meanwhile from Monday the Army convoys are scheduled to ply at their actual timings as the departure of Hajjis is over for the season.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST