Banihal, Nov 20: Amid a rise in road accidents along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, Traffic Police and Motor Vehicles Department has intensified its drive against drivers involved in overspeeding, overloading and rash driving said to be the major caused behind the mishaps.
About a dozen passengers including four children, have been killed in highway accidents in less than a month.
ARTO Ramban Shafqat Majeed told Greater Kashmir that more than 1200 passenger vehicles have been checked in the past five days of which 216 have been fined for overspeeding, overloading , overcharging and negligent driving. Several vehicles including mini buses and cabs have also been seized by the MVD, Majeed informed.
DC Ramban Mussaratul Islam also reached the checking spot on Friday afternoon and checked vehicles with ARTO Ramban at Seri Ramban.
Majeed said that although the checking on the highway is a routine matter, but amid a rise in the accidents on the thoroughfare, the drive has been intensified.
He said that similar drives would continue to check passenger vehicles on highway and on link roads.
The drivers, Majeed said, “have become careless after blacktopping of road in Ramban – Banihal sector leading to rash and negligent driving that causes fatal accidents”.