Suhail Khan
Srinagar, July 25 : The commuters in Baramulla district have slammed the traffic regulating authorities for inaction to check the overloading of passenger vehicles plying on different routes in the north Kashmir district.
Locals while talking to news agency said that the claims of the Traffic Police Department to streamline the movement of traffic are hollow. “No action is being taken against any vehicle even in Baramulla and Sopore towns.”
Expressing concern over the issue, the locals said that the unchecked overloading of vehicles was posing a serious threat to the passengers and commuters alike.
A college going student from Sopore town, Saika Jan lamented the experience she has to go through each day to reach her college. “Overloading of mini buses is a common scene in the area. It becomes more problematic for females as they face inconvenience in public buses. Due to scarcity of passenger buses, we have no option but to board these crowded buses especially during morning hour to hurry to our college.”
Another local Mohammad Harris, an employee by profession said that the rash driving, overloading adds up to reasons for accidents “we see on a daily basis.”
Narrating her experience, a female private tutor, Ishrat Jhan said that as a regular traveler to Baramulla town, she has to witness overcrowding of passenger vehicles on a daily basis particularly during the morning time.
Ishrat said that females are seen standing in these overloaded minibuses especially coming from Uri. “It becomes really difficult to board these jam packed buses in the morning while everyone is in hurry to reach their work places”.
When contacted, ARTO Baramulla Jamshed Chowdary told news agency that a regular check is maintained on the offenders of traffic norms and those violating it are challaned. “We will ensure that more effective measures are taken to stop this practice,” he added. (GNS)
Picture Courtesy : Arawat Mehraj
