Anantnag: The traffic policemen deployed here in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district are actually adding to the traffic mess by stopping vehicles in the busy market for “document checking”, mostly during the rush hour.
Commuters and local shopkeepers in Goriwan market of Bijbehara — on either side of the old National Highway — lament that the traffic policemen do nothing to manage traffic, leading to long messy jams, every single day.
“They have picked a spot right here in the market to stop vehicles for document checking, every day from morning to afternoon. And then in the afternoon they just vanish, as if the only thing they are supposed to do is generate revenue,” a shopkeeper in the vicinity told Kashmir Reader.
Despite the new NH-44 getting functional, the traffic in Bijbehara town has been relentless, as the Anantnag-bound commuters prefer this route. Besides, Bijbehara has a massive catchment area of localities and all the traffic from there converges on the old national highway.
“Three traffic policemen are deployed here. One stops the vehicles, another checks the documents, and the third stands by as an onlooker. Traffic can go to the dogs, meanwhile,” a daily commuter between Bijbehara and Anantnag told Kashmir Reader.
The people rue that it takes them half an hour to cross the Bijbehara market, a stretch of no more than a kilometer, which otherwise should have been a 2-minute drive.
“We understand what they do is important, but not at the expense of managing the traffic. Besides, they can pick a different spot, where they do not hinder the traffic movement,” the locals told Kashmir Reader. “Instead, they stand here checking documents and the traffic keeps piling up.”
The locals say that even if two of them check documents, at least one should manage the traffic.
Kashmir Reader talked to SP Traffic Rural, Manzoor Ahmad, who said that he will look into the matter.
“I will call the Deputy SP and will see if there is any other way things can be done,” Ahmad said.

Suhail A Shah