Kaloosa, Apr 4: Despite a blanket ban on the movement of heavy vehicles on Kaloosa Balley Bridge over the Nallah Madhumati in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the trucks and other heavy motor vehicles still ply on the vital communication link.
 According to the locals, the district administration has failed to regulate the traffic on the bridge, which has been declared unsafe for the heavy vehicles by the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), four years ago.
 “Balley Bridge unsafe for heavy vehicles, only light vehicle should ply on it,” reads the warning on a placard erected near the bridge entry point.
 “The drivers of heavy vehicles completely ignore the warning sign and ply their vehicles on the bridge,” the locals told Greater Kashmir adding that the vehicles cross the bridge in presence of policemen posted by the district administration to enforce the ban on heavy vehicles.
 “The authorities seem to be least concerned about the security of motorists as there is no check on these heavy vehicles. Trucks and trolleys pass every now and then. With each passing day, more and more heavy vehicles, in order to avoid the bottlenecks of the town, are taking this route,” the frequent commuters told Greater Kashmir.
 They said that due to the crossing of these heavy vehicles, traffic jams on both sides of the bridge had become frequent. “We have to wait for several minutes as the heavy vehicles take lot of time to cross over to the other side,” a frequent traveller on this route told Greater Kashmir, adding that many a times, these heavy vehicles get stranded on the bridge, causing immense hardships to the people.
 “Why isn’t there any check from authorities on the plying of heavy vehicles? Being insensitive to the security of commuters and playing with their lives should be treated as an unpardonable offence. The entry of heavy vehicles should not be allowed at any cost. Proper check posts should be erected at both ends so that no such vehicle is able to cross the bridge even during the night,” said an angry commuter.
 He said the district administration should erect low cross bars on either sides of the bridge to prevent the movement of these vehicles.
 According to the commuters, the bridge surface has got damaged due to the plying of heavy vehicles.
Compiled by Suhail Ajmal

Lastupdate on : Wed, 4 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 4 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 5 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST