WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic Srinagar Muzaffar Ahmad Shah Tuesday said that during 20234, over 4 lac challans were issued against traffic violators in different parts of the city, including e-challans.
Talking to a media person, SSP Traffic Srinagar said, “We have nearly 400,000 cases of traffic violations issued in Srinagar”.
Secondly, we have focused significantly on wrong parking, resulting in nearly 100,000 challans issued against such violations. Similarly, for seat belt violations, red light jumping, and triple riding, nearly 80,000 challans have been issued in these three categories combined. If we sum it up, the bulk of violations—almost 4 to 5—are concentrated in these specific categories, he said.
He added that the idea is that if we focus on specific violations, people will start thinking that they should avoid committing these infractions. We’re not asking for much; we’re just emphasizing safety.
For instance, if you wear a helmet, we won’t need to issue a challan. Similarly, no challan will be issued against you if you avoid parking incorrectly. The point is to push for particular compliance, but if society fully cooperates, you’ll see that accidents and fatalities will automatically decrease, SSP Traffic Srinagar said.
This will have an immediate impact, as congestion in crowded areas will also reduce. Last year, we had 56 fatalities, while this year, it’s 57, he said.
He said that last year, there were approximately 476 accidents; this year, there are around 426 accidents, including injuries and fatalities. Our most problematic stretch is the bypass, which significantly contributes to fatalities.
Certain measures need to be taken in such areas, and they are being implemented. For instance, flyovers are being constructed, and service roads are being developed in critical spots. He said that stakeholders, whether it’s R&B (Roads & Buildings), National Highway authorities, or even BEACON, are playing their part.
In the coming months, you’ll see improvements, especially on the bypass stretch, where accidents and fatalities will decrease because of better management and less confusion, he said.
