SRINAGAR: Roadside parking of vehicles and hawkers are choking arterial roads in Srinagar leading to massive traffic jams.
The major areas affected by the problem include Hari Singh High Street, Amira Kadal, Ghanta Ghar, Karan Nagar, Lal Ded Hospital road, Batamaloo, Poloview, Residency road, Parimpora, Jehangir Chowk, Dalgate and old Secretariat road.
At these places, vehicles are parked haphazardly on the edges of roads narrowing the passage for vehicles plying on roads. This is the major obstacle in smooth vehicular movement.
Similarly, hawkers have illegally occupied roads and footpaths at these spots. This adds to problems making it even difficult for pedestrians to walk.
On Saturday afternoon, a long queue of vehicles was stuck on busy Batamaloo-MA Road road due to massive traffic jam. Many commuters said they have to spend at least an hour to cover a distance of just two kilometres in the city as traffic situation has worsened on roads. Many a times, essential public services such as ambulances and fire brigade are seen stuck in jam.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation admits the presence of illegal street vendors encroaching on roads and pavements saying they have been setting up stalls despite repeated warnings.
Umer Din Chouhan, who is supervising SMC’s anti- encroachment in Srinagar city said they are removing the vendors every day.
“The corporation has given land to the streets vendors in many places across the city. But they still encroach footpaths and roadsides,” Chouhan added.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police Srinagar City, Al Tahir Geelani told Kashmir Reader that the traffic department is taking the proper action against the violators for parking vehicles on roadsides.
“We tow those vehicles that are parked on the wrong sides in city. We are doing everything to make traffic run smoothly,” he said adding people should cooperate in parking their vehicles in designated bays to reduce traffic jams.

ARIF RASHID