Srinagar, June 21: Despite the Jammu and Kashmir Police traffic department’s claims that two-way traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway is being restored on a daily basis, hundreds of truckers alleged on Wednesday that they have been stranded on the highway for the past six days.
Rising Kashmir received several distress calls from stranded drivers along the highway on Wednesday and urged the administration to allow them to travel to their respected destinations on a regular basis.
They stated that truck traffic heading to Jammu has been severely hampered, with some drivers stranded for six days. The highway’s traffic flow has slowed, causing significant delays.
However, SSP Rural Traffic Ravinder Singh told Rising Kashmir that due to maintenance work at Dalwas, Kashmir based truckers were facing the issue as traffic was moving slowly towards Jammu.
“On Thursday, all the stranded traffic will be cleared from Kashmir side and HMV will be allowed to move towards Jammu side without any delay. The matter has been taken with the authorities and all issues of drivers will be resolved,” he said.
A trucker, Shakoor Ahmad, told Rising Kashmir that he had only travelled eight kilometres in the previous six days while stuck at the Bonigam crossing.
He described daily traffic on the national highway as a farce, with the traffic department releasing only a few dozen vehicles and then traffic jams that impede smooth movement.
In addition to the slow traffic, truck drivers face a number of other issues.
“There are no nearby restrooms or drinking water facilities, making the situation even more difficult for them,” the truck drivers explained.
Furthermore, some drivers accused the traffic department of allowing trucks to enter the Levdoura traffic stop from the wrong side, causing even more chaos on the road.
Another driver Yaqoob Ahmad highlighted the lack of services for stranded truckers on the highway. At the Qazigund stopping point, truck drivers face numerous difficulties due to the absence of necessary amenities, he said.
“Despite being stuck for several days, with the scorching heat adding to their discomfort, the drivers emphasized the need for the relevant authorities to manage traffic more efficiently and ensure timely crossing for the trucks,” he said.
The truck drivers said that near Qazigund they are experiencing slow traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, resulting in significant delays and inconvenience.
They are urging the concerned authorities to address the situation promptly and facilitate smoother traffic movement for trucks on the highway.
