Srinagar- Months after being installed at multiple locations across the city, the traffic lights are yet to be made functional.
Experts say, the Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) is yet to be made operational and is one the main reasons for traffic jams in the city.
The authorities have installed traffic lights at dozens of locations including Zakura, Dalgate, Lal Chowk, Batamaloo, Hawal, Lal Bazar, Bota Kadal, Hyderpora ,Hazratbal and many other junctions across the city.
Alleging official apathy, commuters say they are at the receiving end and they have to spend a lot of time in traffic jams.
“Authorities have installed traffic lights at many places in Srinagar but are yet to be made operational. Government should prioritize operationalizing traffic lights” said Syed Mehran, a commuter.
“I think it will play an important role in reducing traffic jams” he added.
However, authorities say they are doing their bit to streamline the traffic.
A senior Traffic Official attributed traffic jams in the city to a number of reasons. “Many roads in the city, in and around the city Centre have been dug up in the city for Smart City Projects which hampers smooth flow of traffic. Moreover, with days getting shorter, people go back to their homes earlier which results in more traffic snarls” he said.
Few months earlier, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) commissioner, Athar Aamir Khan had said that the Municipality had handed over the ATCS to the concerned department. However, months on, traffic lights are still dysfunctional in the city. Despite repeated attempts he did not respond to phone calls.
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