Amid increasing road accidents in Srinagar, Rising Kashmir spoke to people to gauge their opinion on the issue and ways to prevent these accidents. 

Mir Mujtaba, Narbal

The rise of accidents in the summer capital Srinagar is a cause of worry. We are witnessing accidents daily, especially the two-wheelers who are involved in most of the cases. There is no doubt accidents happen but sometimes it occurs due to negligence of drivers which often leads to loss of lives. This practise needs to stop. Rash and speedy driving is the culprit. 

Mehraj Din, Habba Kadal

The potholes on Srinagar’s roads, which you will find everywhere, is the major cause of accidents. If you will see the roads in the city, you will find potholes everywhere. Every year, the government spends crores of rupees for better road connectivity but after a few months of macadamization the surface of the pothole again, which causes a major inconvenience to commuters and leads to accidents. 

Sabzar Ahmad, Rambagh

In the year 2020, despite the strict Covid-19 lockdown, the summer capital Srinagar witnessed 275 road accidents in which 45 persons lost their life while 275 persons received injuries. Most of the casualties occurred to people riding the two-wheelers. I believe some people drive rashly and it’s a reason for rising accidents. The bikers should be punished for riding at high speed. The number of accidents despite the lockdown is a concern and it needs the immediate attention of the government.

Shakeel Ahmad, Bemina

Srinagar is witnessing more accidents than other districts in Kashmir. There are various reasons for this. The main reason is that the city witnesses more traffic than any other district, leading to more accidents than other districts. The other reason is the bad condition of potholes on the roads, which makes the roads prone to accidents. Sometimes, the negligence of the drivers is also a reason for a rise in accidents. People without driving licenses should be barred from driving vehicles.