Commuters having tough time on Jammu-Srinagar highway

Commuters having tough time on Jammu-Srinagar highway
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, July 31
Even as repair work was done on the 312-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (1-A) a few months ago, yet the road is full of bumps and potholes, which causes frequent traffic jams and accidents.

Despite being the only road link between Jammu and Srinagar, the road has developed cracks at several places. The road is turning out to be a nightmare for commuters due to the lackadaisical approach of the authorities concerned.

The bumpy stretches start from the outskirts of Jammu and continue till Srinagar. Due to the bad condition of the road, the travel time has also increased.

“To avoid driving on bad stretches and bumps, one has to drive in a wrong lane sometimes, which makes it dangerous,” said Rakesh Kumar, a tourist.

Shopkeepers along the national highway say everyday, heavy vehicles like trucks and buses develop snags due to the poor condition of the road.

“The road is in bad shape and driving any heavy vehicle loaded with goods or passengers is a risky job. The bumps often damage the vehicles, which not only causes losses to the owner, but also results in traffic jams,” said Ganesh, a shopkeeper at Domel.

However, the authorities concerned blame the truckers, saying, “The problem persists due to overloaded heavy vehicles, which ply on the road without even a check. As per norms, a truck cannot ply with more than 40-tonne load, but drivers do not obey the rules.”

On the other hand, truck drivers say the fuel prices continue to increase.So, they have no other option but to overload the vehicles. “ On a journey on the route, a truck consumes diesel worth about Rs 10,000. So, we are forced to overload the vehicle, because no one pays the increased freight charges.”

Akil Ahmad, Deputy General Manager (Jammu and Kashmir), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), while talking to The Tribune over the phone from Delhi, said, “I assure you the repair work will be started soon at some places on the highway.”

He added that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) also carried out the repair work of the national highway at some places.