Srinagar, Aug 14: Though diversion of public transport buses in the wake of festive rush in City centre improved traffic flow in the busy marketplaces, on the diversion routes particularly south City areas like Hazuri Bagh it was a mess. Barricades and other security arrangements put people to inconvenience with those travelling by buses saying that they were “being all the times put to inconvenience”.

MESS AROUND BAKSHI STADIUM
 On roads leading to Bakshi Stadium or passing nearby, huge gridlocks could be seen as major portion of the roads was eaten away by barricades, where vehicles had to struggle to move ahead amid frequent frisking.
 The flow of public transport buses added to the mess near the bottlenecks created by police and paramilitary CRPF.
 “These security measures ahead of August 15 have always been a cause of inconvenience for we people,” said a man travelling by bus who said his hour got waste in the diversion through the chocked roads, particularly where barricades have been erected.

WHY MA ROAD NOT USED?
 The people travelling by buses who have to bear with long and seemingly pesky diversions argued that why don’t the traffic regulatory authorities utilize MA Road for public transport buses.
 “Or is that the MA Road is meant exclusively for VIPs going to Civil Secretariat that we are denied use of the road?” argued a bus passenger. He and many others alleged that the “government has no consideration for the Aam Aadmi who travels by bus”.  “They are only concerned about the VIPs,” they said.

LAL CHOWK BETTER
 Though rush was lesser on the I-Day eve due to stringent security arrangements in place, those who thronged the City centre for festive shopping expressed a sigh of relief.
 “Yesterday I dropped the shopping plan halfway on getting stuck in gridlock and took a U-turn back home… But today it was altogether different and convenient coming to Lal Chowk,” said Hakeem Firdous, an uptown resident.
 Senior officials of the Traffic police including DIG Traffic Shafqat Watali and SP Haseeb Ur Rehman were seen personally monitoring the regulation even as they held surprise inspection of the men-in-blue on duty.

THE DIVERSIONS
 The Traffic Police Tuesday announced traffic diversions. A statement issued by Traffic Police said: “No passenger vehicles shall be allowed to ply on Residency Road from Radio Kashmir to Hari Singh High Street and along M A Road from SRTC Crossing to Jehangir Chowk except emergency and on-duty vehicles.”

Lastupdate on : Tue, 14 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 14 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 15 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST