The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway continues to witness frequent and massive traffic jams due to failure of authorities to regulate vehicular movement.
Many commuters said the problem has got compounded byill-planned excavation along the patches of the highway for upgrading thehighway to a four-lane road.
“The traffic jams have become a routine affair. While eachday we lose many hours in the jam, the authorities seem to be clueless toaddress the growing problem,” said a commuter.
Many commuters complained that traffic on the highway fromBanihal to Udhampur has become a “night mare” as vehicles get stuck for longhours in the jam at various places.
The deteriorated condition of the highway has also exposedclaims of the authorities who have failed to undertake repair of the highway atdifferent stretches.
“Routine traffic jam has impacted business activities alonghighway towns. Employees, students, traders and shopkeepers are the worst hit,”said a local of Ramban.
A group of locals said they contacted authorities concernedon several occasions to seek redress to their problems. “But nobody islistening to us,” they said. “There seems to be no close monitoring byauthorities at the helm of affairs over such public issues,” they rued.