Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir Tuesday called for an effective management of traffic in the Srinagar city and peripheries, in order to minimize the road accidents and cut the travelling time of commuters.
“The commuters, both travelling in public and private vehicles, are facing huge difficulties to traverse through the city and peripheral roads due to huge traffic inflow and snarls, which cause inordinate delays in reaching to the respective workplaces, particularly during rush hours,” Prof Mehraj ud Din Mir said while addressing the participants during a one-day training workshop on “Traffic Management in Kashmir: Problems, Perspectives and Way Forward,” organised by the varsity’s School of Legal Studies (SLS) at Tulmulla Campus, the varsity said in a statement.
SSP Traffic Rural, Manzoor Ahmad, SP Ganderbal, Feroz Yehya, DSP Traffic, Ganderbal, Fahim Ahmad, faculty members and students attended the event.
CUK Vice Chancellor, said that driving on roads has become a nerve-racking exercise. “The drivers get extremely irritated due to frequent traffic snarls on roads, which adversely affect their mental health,” he said, adding the need of the hour was to plan and implement a foolproof traffic management system, in order to ease the sufferings of the people. He also underscored the need of checking the menace of teenage driving and stunt biking.
Faheem Ahmed Malik, Associate Lecturer in Future Transportation Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, United Kingdom, in his presentations, portrayed a dismal picture of traffic in Srinagar city. “Despite construction of flyovers, the traffic mess in the City will go from bad to worse in coming years, if adequate effective measures are not taken immediately,” Faheem Malik said while quoting a survey conducted by him. He said the traffic and other concerned departments have to work in tandem in order to streamline the traffic in the city and peripheries. He further said the Valley also lacks a robust public transportation system, which if put in place, would solve the majority of traffic related issues.
Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, SVP- National Police Academy, Hyderabad, in his keynote address and presentation, highlighted the measures taken by traffic police personnel in Tamil Nadu, Bangalore and Mohali and other states to check the traffic violations. “The traffic police personnel in Tamil Nadu have recommended the cancellation of more than one lakh vehicular licenses of habitual offenders,” he said. Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, also underscored the need to protect the pedestrians while they are crossing the roads at busy traffic junctions.
Dean School of Legal Studies, Prof. Farooq Ahmad Mir, in his address, spelt out the aims and objectives of holding the workshop. He said the primary objective of organizing it was to sensitize the students and faculty about the traffic rules and regulations. Prof. Mir underscored the need of involving the students of educational institutions to help in traffic management.
Coordinator, Department of Law, Gulafroz Jan, conducted the programme proceedings and also presented the vote of thanks.
Later technical sessions were held in which experts deliberated on various issues pertaining to traffic.