Our state has seen unprecedented increase in the number of vehicles within a short span of time putting more and more pressure on existing infrastructure. With the result traffic mess, that we all encounter on daily basis, has become a routine inconvenience. People get stuck in traffic jams and fail to reach destinations like hospitals, educational institutes, government and private offices besides other work places. A way out has emerged in the shape a person who has become a household name in Kashmir – Basanth Rath, Inspector General of Police (Traffic).
There has been a general consensus that this mess is the making of traffic police alone, but the fact is that traffic management is the collective operation of various departments such as town planning organization, roads and buildings department commonly known as R&B, transport department, Srinagar Municipality, RTO and also the traffic police wing of J&K police, besides judiciary. Unfortunately due to the lack of coordination among various departments, traffic system worsens day by day, which can be observed on all roads of our state.
Lack of qualified technical knowhow and loose implementation of rules and regulations is also paving way for traffic mess at the administrative level on one hand, and due to poor traffic knowledge of general masses comprising road users both drivers as well as pedestrian, who have not understood the meaning of roads, road engineering, traffic engineering, road signs and markings, traffic signs and signals, importance of transportation and values of emergencies and urgencies. This all constitutes traffic mess in Kashmir.
Transport and communication is a very important economic overhead and increase in population and vehicles are definite trend in the urban areas. Hence regulation of traffic and maintenance of existing transport routes is to be essentially attended with improved coordination for achieving better and smooth traffic with less number of accidents and efficient timing. Comprehensive traffic management program is required that will come only after constituting a traffic management committee comprising a qualified town planner, civil engineer, an economist, a legal expert from judiciary, well qualified policemen and urban local bodies expert. The present mess in traffic cannot be set right by traffic police alone as they are not qualified regarding traffic engineering, traffic management and traffic regulation. For example, traffic police used to stop vehicles for checking purpose right in the middle of the road causing hindrance to the movement of traffic. Passenger buses stop anywhere as per their liking and don’t even hesitate in stopping in the middle of the road for a long time. Bus stops have been created / constructed at wrong places and drivers are not trained to stop their vehicle at the proper bus stops.
Traffic engineering is required before any law or rule is applied to drivers. Proper infrastructure is required for better traffic management which will be at an approximate cost of few crores only. There is no need of flyovers at every nook and corner in Srinagar which costs hundreds of crores. Bus stands are to be renovated and redesigned; otherwise drivers use the main roads as bus stands. Take a simple example of Batamaloo and Dalgate and see how you cannot differentiate between the bus stand of Batamaloo or Dalgate and the main road. You will find all the busses on the main highway from fire-station Batamaloo up to RTO office at Tatto Ground and from Dal gate to Badyari Chowk.
Is this the traffic management our law makers and their functionaries in administration have achieved so far?
Constructing flyovers, widening of roads alone will not solve the problem. Huge amounts are spent for this purpose without application of mind as these huge structures act as monsters in other wise beautiful valley of Kashmir killing beautiful natural landscape of Srinagar for which it is famous for.
The proper goal of traffic management can be achieved by adopting the following:
• Organization (Traffic Management Team)
• Inventories, Surveys and Studies.
• Analysis.
• Forecast, planning and evaluation.
• Operation and Implementation.
• Performance assessment and Review.
• Short-term or Immediate remedies and Long-term perspective Planning.
Here is an urgent need that the government shall appoint a traffic management team in coordination with IG Traffic to have short term and long term planning and solutions in order to have safe, smooth, efficient transport policy for better traffic management in our state. There is a solution to every problem if the right person is given a right place.
Author is a town planner.