Traffic jams along the Ramban-Ramsu and Ramsu-Banihal stretches of the Jammu-Srinagar highway have become the order of the day. On Saturday too, a jam between Sherbibi and Banihal lasted several hours.
A local transporter, Javed Iqbal, told Greater Kashmir, “Since the road widening work started on the highway in 2016, traffic jams have become a routine affair.”
An estimated 5000-6000 vehicles ply on the highway every day.
Senior superintendent of police (Highway) Shakti Pathak listed the reasons for frequent jams—road-widening works, repair of dilapidated stretches, nomads driving their cattle for seasonal migration to Jammu from the Valley and an increase in the number of trucks carrying fruit from Kashmir to other parts of the country.
Another chronic cause, Pathak said, was overtaking and violation of lane-driving by light motor vehicle drivers.
He said the traffic department was doing its bit to prevent traffic jams.
“We have deployed 30 constables and SPOs to regulate and monitor traffic. Besides we strictly ensure heavy motor vehicles ply from one side only in a day,” he said, urging commuters to stick to their lanes.
For the people living along the highway, frequent traffic jams are an inconvenience on several fronts.
“Our patients don’t reach hospital in time, schoolchildren and employees are late. We need respite,” said Mohammad Yaseen, a resident of Ramban.
Truckers have also complained of losses because of one-way restriction for the past one-and-a half year.