Srinagar, April 28: The unchecked movement of speeding tippers in Srinagar during evening and night hours has become a growing concern among residents, who say the reckless driving of these heavy vehicles is putting lives at risk.
Residents claim that over speeding tippers have become a common sight after dusk. These vehicles, primarily used for transporting construction materials, are often seen speeding through both city streets and residential areas. Commuters attribute this dangerous behaviour to the lack of routine traffic checks, particularly during the evening hours, which they believe emboldens tipper drivers.
“I usually return home late from work. It is terrifying to see these tippers speeding through the roads with no fear of being stopped,” said Owais Ahmed, a daily commuter from Sanat Nagar.
“It’s become a daily risk just walking along the road in the evening,” said Uzma Shah, a resident of Nowgam. “These tippers come barrelling down the lanes as if they’re on a highway, not in a residen-tial zone.” “The situation gets worse after 7 PM,” said Sohail Mir, a resident of Batamaloo. “They speed past without slowing down, even near busy intersections. I have witnessed near-accidents multiple times.”
Rafiq, a resident of Hyderpora, said that recently, a speeding tipper in their residential area, loaded with construction material, hit an electricity wire, bringing down the entire connection and damaging the transformer. “The electricity was out for several hours,” he said.
Another resident from Bemina expressed said that it becomes even more dangerous where street-lights are scarce. “For commuters, especially two-wheelers and pedestrians, these tippers are a real threat. They can barely be seen until it’s too late,” he said.
Several commuters have also alleged that some tipper operators are using tactics to hide their num-ber plates in an attempt to evade accountability. “Earlier, it was only bikers who did this, but now even heavy vehicle operators are doing it,” said another commuter.
Many residents are now urging traffic authorities to take immediate action. “Routine enforcement is essential, especially during the night hours when these vehicles are most active. A visible police pres-ence could deter these reckless drivers from endangering lives,” said Faisal Ahmad, a concerned commuter. In response to the growing concerns, a traffic official said: “We are aware of the problem and are actively planning to increase surveillance and patrolling during the evenings,” he said. How-ever, he admitted that the shortage of manpower makes it challenging to monitor every violation consistently.
“While we are committed to addressing these concerns, the limited number of personnel makes it difficult to oversee every area,” the official said. “We are exploring ways to enhance our efforts through technology and strategic deployment of available resources.”
