Baramulla, July 15 : The traffic mess on Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Government Medical College Baramulla is a huge inconvenience to patients as well as commuters.
While expressing concern over the frequent traffic jam, the aggrieved visitors to the GMC Baramulla said that it is extremely difficult to pass their vehicle or ambulance especially during peak hours as passenger vehicles stop there to drop passengers resulting in massive traffic jams.
“The traffic jam is a daily routine here,”said Muhammad Ashraf a local resident. “Although two cops are deployed here to streamline the traffic, however, most of the time they are unable to regulate the traffic ,” added Mushtaq.
Firdous Ahmad, a local resident while sharing his ordeal, said that while shifting a patient from Sheeri Baramulla, he along with the patient was stuck for more than twenty minutes on the road due to massive traffic jam near the hospital.
He said after the intervention of cops and some locals he was able to reach the hospital. However, despite being five minutes away from the hospital, he lost twenty minutes in the traffic jam. “The hospital is located close to a school and an army ground. With the result during peak hours, the passenger vehicles, army convoys and school buses add to traffic jam. The GMC authorities must find alternate approach road to the hospital so that inconvenience is avoided,” said Mushtaq Ahmad.
The traffic mess is witnessed even as authorities have constructed two passenger sheds on the highway, close to the GMC Baramulla approach road, to facilitate passengers to board vehicle at the designated stop. However, both the passengers sheds are deserted and passengers don’t use it as a bus stop.
The passenger shed if used to pickup and drop passengers, it will ease traffic jam to a large extent, said local residents. “If passenger bus stop is used by the passengers it will reduce traffic mess near the GMC Baramulla to a great extent which in turn will be big relief for the patients visiting GMC Baramulla,” said an employee of GMC Baramulla.