Ramban: Despite allowing one way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles on Srinagar- Jammu National Highway, the traffic snarls were witnessed at various places on highway especially between Nashri – Banihal sector on Monday.
Long queues of load carriers, passenger vehicles and private cars remained stuck in traffic jams at Chanderkote, Karool, Mehar Ramban, Seri Kelamorh Maroog and at other places for hours together.
Hundreds of vehicles- both light motor vehicles and Heavy Motor Vehicles remained stuck for hours together during the day in traffic jams on the highway between Chanderkote and Seri.
Local commuters preferred to de-board from their vehicles for covering their destinations on foot. Drivers and commuters complained that traffic jams have become a routine matter on the highway despite the fact authorities are announcing plying of one way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles on the Highway .
They said commuters were apprehensive and fearing more and worse traffic jams in coming days as the herds of nomads has begin to travel on the highway from the plains of Jammu to the upper reaches of the Kashmir valley.
Commuters and drivers blamed Contractors Contractor Companies engaged by the NHAI for execution and other works at different work sites due to which the highway is getting shrinked at various places.Whereas some commuters and drivers said that there is a dismal presence of traffic police personnel at bottlenecks due to which regulation of the traffic automatically becomes grinding halt, they said.
Sources told that the traffic movement remained affected for hours at various places due to which the vehicular traffic was moving at snail’s pace on the highway.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir traffic police headquarters issued fresh advisory for Tuesday stating that subject to fair weather and better road condition light motor vehicles (LMVs) private cars shall be allowed from both sides on Srinagar- Jammu National Highway whereas Heavy Motor Vehicles shall be allowed to ply from Jammu towards Srinagar after assessing traffic situation on highway on Tuesday.
The cut off timings for valley bound LMVs, private cars from Nagrota Jammu has been fixed 7 am to 12 pm and from Jakhani Udhampur 8 am to 1 pm. The cut off timings for Jammu bound light motor vehicles through Banihal Qazigund tunnel has been fixed as 7am to 12pm on Monday. No Vehicle shall be allowed before and after cut off timings.