Roads across J&K reduced to death traps: AAP

Jammu, Sep 17: Castigating successive Governments in Jammu and Kashmir for reducing roads into death traps, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state spokesperson Reyaz Majid Saturday said that loss of precious human lives and blood shed on roads is a dark side of Jammu and Kashmir and Government should immediately take all necessary measures of road safety and accident control.
He also said that the law enforcement agencies of motor vehicles department and police have been turned into revenue generation units with main focus on collection of money rather than betterment.
Addressing a press conference in Kashmir, Aam Aadmi Party state spokesperson Reyaz Majid said that road accidents are becoming a new routine on roads and highways of Jammu and Kashmir but unfortunately the Government is maintaining a criminal silence on it and is behaving like a mute spectator.
“Pir Panjal region, Chenab valley and north Kashmir are worst affected with road accidents and more serious concern than these accidents is a complete failure of the system to keep a check on this bloodshed,” Reyaz Majid said.
Sharing some figures, he stated that fifteen people had died and over fifty injured in four roads accidents across Rajouri and Poonch in last three days while this list is endless and fatalities in the accidents can be gauged from the figures of eight deaths in Kishtwar accident on 31 August, seven deaths of CAPF personnel in Pahalgam on 16 August, five deaths in Ramban on 4 August.
“The number of people who got injured in accidents is thousands across Jammu and Kashmir while number of fatalities is also increasing with time which is a serious cause of concern as we are losing precious human lives on roads which otherwise are a symbol of development, connectivity and reform,” Reyaz Majid AAP said.
Majid said that law enforcement agencies of Jammu and Kashmir Motor Vehicles Department and Traffic Police have an important role in betterment of system to lead to reduction in accidents but both these important agencies have been turned into revenue generation units to fill Government pockets instead of betterment of situation.
He also castigated Jammu and Kashmir Government for taking no preventive measures towards these accidents and said that callous approach of Government is a reason causing rise in accidents.
Sharing some statistics, the AAP leader said that a recent bus accident took place on Mandi, Saujiyan road in Poonch in which eleven people lost their lives and at the site of this accident, an accident took a few months ago also in which we lost human lives and two accidents at same place shows that there is something wrong with the site adding that local have termed a sharp curve and dilapidated road condition at the site as cause of accident despite after which Government has not even declared this spot as black spot or accidents prone area.
He also talked of recent bus accident at Deri Ralyote in Rajouri Manjakote in which four people died and said that Deri Ralyote portion of Jammu Rajouri Poonch NHW is becoming an accident prone area due to sharp curves but Government has not installed even a single sign board there to make drivers aware about risk of accidents.
“You can say that things are going on God’s mercy and Government is looking at other side instead of taking preventive measures,” said Reyaz Majid.
He further mentioned about ongoing cash crop season of apple crop in Kashmir and stated that irregular transportation of crop due to problems in regular movement of vehicles on Jammu Srinagar NHW is a cause of concern which will affect the economy of Kashmir badly and government should ensure smooth movement of vehicles on highway to safeguard economic conditions of Kashmir traders.