SRINAGAR: Despite Jammu and Kashmir witnessing over 50 percent increase in traffic in the last eight years, the authorities have failed to conduct any recruitment drive for traffic personnel in last one decade, who would help in catering the traffic movement.
We are not able to cater the traffic movement especially in Jammu and in Srinagar. Due to lack of man power, least surveillance is being kept whether traffic rules are being followed by the drivers, a senior official of traffic department told KNS.
He said government should conduct a major recruitment drive of traffic personnel in the state for manning the traffic movement which would help in decreasing the number of road accidents.
According to the official figures of traffic department, the number of vehicles in J&K was 668445 in 2008. In 2009, it gained7.77 percent increase and reached up to 737581.
While as in the year 2010, 2011, 2012; it increased traffic percentage of 10.34, 11.92 and 11.98 percent respectively and their number reached to 916898 in the state by 2012.
According to the official figures available with Regional Transport Office (RTO) Srinagar, about 5,000 new private vehicles are added to the roads in Kashmir every month and state has over 13 lakh vehicles with 6 lakh in the Valley alone.
Official sources said number of vehicles has increased to 13 lakh from 668 445 in 2008 while there has been least increase in the strength of traffic personnel.
The percentage of deaths in road accidents in the Valley is 66 percent as compared to the 37 percent across India.
Figures reveal that in 2013, around 2256 road mishaps were reported, killing 353 and injuring 3033 people. Since 2011, up to December 2014, 3960 people were killed across the state and more than 30,000 people were injured in over 20,000 road accidents.
Official sources said the rash driving by the ill-experienced drivers was the main reason for increasing road accidents in the State.
During 2011-2012, about 50509 licenses were issued in Kashmir while in 2012-13 its number was 45,913. During 2014-15, around 30000 driving licenses were issued.
Sources said that the licenses were being issued even to minors and many do not qualify the driving test which is mandatory for getting the license.
We are not able to check the licenses and other documents of every one due to lack of manpower, a senior official of traffic department said.
A senior official said that his department was providing licenses to the people once they quality the driving test. But it is responsibility of the traffic department to check whether traffic rules are being adhered, he said.
We provide permits to the vehicles but the traffic department should also increase its strength of traffic personnel, he added.
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