Ramban, July 7: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of vehicles carrying Amarnath yatris and tourists, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and one-way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) for Jammu on Friday.
However, the movement of traffic remained slow due to the breakdown of 13 HMVs and a single road stretch at Dalwass, Mehar-Cafeteria, Ramban, and other places between Nashri and Banihal.
Traffic officials in Ramban said that the highway remained open and hundreds of vehicles carrying Amarnath yatris and tourists crossed the Nashri-Banihal sector of the highway for their respective destinations.
They said that the HMVs released from Qazigund, Kashmir headed towards Jammu in a regulated manner.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Police issued a fresh advisory for Saturday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance, Amarnath Yatra convoy and LMVs would be allowed to ply on either side of the highway while HMVs would be allowed to ply from Jakhani, Udhampur towards Kashmir after assessing road and traffic situation on the highway on Saturday.
The cut-off timings for Kashmir-bound LMVs other than those carrying Amarnath yatris and tourists have been fixed from 6 am to 12 pm from Nagrota Jammu and 7 am to 1 pm from Jakhani, Udhampur.
The cut-off timing for Jammu-bound LMVs has been fixed from 11:30 am to 2 pm from Qazigund, Kashmir.
“No vehicle will be allowed to ply before or after the fixed cut-off timing,” the advisory reads.
Oil tanker catches fire in Banihal
Meanwhile, a petrol tanker that met with an accident on Thursday night in the Chareel (Char Chinar) area of Banihal on the old alignment of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway caught fire on Friday afternoon.
No loss of life or injury was reported.
Due to the leakage of petrol from one of its chambers, the tanker caught fire.
Fire tenders from Banihal Fire Station, local volunteers, and Army reached the spot and doused the fire.
