Persistent traffic jams in Bijbehara town ‘frustrate’ commuters
Anantnag: Chronic traffic congestion in Bijbehara town of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district has become a major source of frustration for commuters, primarily due to poor traffic management and official apathy, locals alleged Friday.
The town experiences severe traffic snarls, especially during morning and evening rush hours, causing significant inconvenience to residents and visitors alike.
Locals attribute the chaos to multiple factors, including inadequate parking spaces, mismanagement of vehicular movement, and frequent violations of traffic rules. Many residents believe that the public itself contributes to the problem by parking vehicles haphazardly along roadsides, exacerbating congestion.
“At several locations, improper parking severely disrupts traffic flow. Some shopkeepers even park their vehicles on the already narrow roads, further aggravating the issue,” said Ishrat Ahmad, a local resident.
Riyaz Ahmad, another resident, highlighted that traffic congestion has become a daily ordeal, primarily due to roadside parking and the movement of heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) through the town during the daytime.
“The problem is particularly severe from the PHE office to Padshahi Bagh and Zirpora, where the Sub-District Hospital is also located. Patients and their attendants are facing immense difficulties due to this persistent gridlock,” he said.
Additionally, vendors and shopkeepers occupying footpaths force pedestrians to walk on the roads, further slowing down vehicular movement.
“It often takes half an hour to cover just a few hundred meters, especially during peak hours,” Ahmad added.
A group of employees expressed concern over the impact of these daily traffic jams on their work schedules. “Our jobs are at risk as we frequently reach our offices late due to the gridlock,” they said.
Despite a government ban on the entry of HMVs during the day, locals claim that authorities fail to enforce this restriction, contributing to the worsening traffic situation.
Residents have repeatedly raised the issue with concerned officials, but little has changed on the ground.
They are once again urging authorities to take immediate and effective measures to resolve the traffic crisis in Bijbehara town.
