Jammu, Mar 9: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Wednesday reviewed traffic scenario and called for installation of cameras on a mission mode to streamline traffic management in the Union Territory.
The chief secretary expressed serious concern over the alarming figures of fatal road accidents on the national highway and other major roads in Jammu and Kashmir.
“For improving the in-city traffic movement, directions were issued for installation of traffic cameras on a mission mode, in addition to specifying city-town speed limits”, Mehta said.
He maintained that the enforcement agencies must work in tandem with each other to ensure streamlining of traffic in and around cities, towns and on national highway and major roads.
“Special efforts are required to ensure compliance to traffic rules and traffic discipline for which civil society needs to be approached and proactively engaged”, he said.
He directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to prioritize installation of crash barriers and parapets throughout the accident-prone areas and black spots.
The chief secretary directed the traffic police to check over-speeding inside the Navayug and Nashri tunnels and ensure strict compliance to the fixed speed limits.
Directions were also issued for expeditious procurement of gadgets to check speed limits for which the highway has already initiated the process.
While reviewing the recurrent traffic jams on the national highway due to police checking and nakas, the chief secretary directed the concerned to conduct checking of vehicles in a regulated manner without causing disruption to the smooth traffic movement.
The enforcement agencies were further asked to submit the factual reports of each checking drive with the higher authorities for ensuring suitable penal action against the delinquents, they said.
To ensure transparency and accountability during the enforcement drives, Mehta directed mandatory wearing of body cameras by the officials concerned, besides ensuring installation of traffic cameras on all traffic interceptors.
Similarly, the Traffic Police was also asked to adequately plan for the Amarnath Yatra 2022 in consultation with the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.