The road was closed last Thursday following the heavy snowfall in the Valley and many other places along the highway.The officials had yesterday claimed that the road was thrown open for one way traffic and announced that the traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu today.
Despite the official announcement the authorities today did not allow any of the vehicles to move towards Jammu thus causing lot of inconvenience to the passengers and the drivers.
Hundreds of passengers were taken by surprise when the traffic officials stopped the vehicles they were traveling in at different places and did not allow them to move ahead.Dozens of traffic police personnel were seen forcibly putting at halt all the Jammu bound passenger and the heavy vehicles near Dak Bangalow Khanabal which led to the long traffic jamming on the highway. Many drivers alleged that the traffic officials deflated their tiers and even beat them after they resisted and tried to move ahead.
“Following the announcement of the traffic authorities that the traffic will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu today I left for Jammu early this morning today. However, on reaching Khanabal, I was stopped by the traffic cops who asked me to go back saying that the road was closed. When I objected and asked them why did they make the announcement, they beat me up and even tried to deflate the tyres of my car,” said Mohammad Ashraf from Pulwama.
Another driver, Shabir Ahmad, who was stopped by the officials near Qazigund said that the authorities are making false claims about the opening of the road only to make the passengers bear the brunt.“If the authorities have not been able to clear the road then they should not make false announcements which only cause inconvenience to the passengers,” he said.
A traffic official wishing anonymity said that there is lack of communication between traffic officials of Srinagar and Jammu which resulted in the mess and the passengers have to bear the brunt.“Last evening it was decided that the traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed to ply only but the traffic authorities allowed the traffic from the other side also despite knowing that the road was not safe for the two way traffic. The two way traffic on the road led to chaos,” the traffic official said.
Deputy SP, (Rural) Traffic, G M Bhat said that he was directed from his higher ups to stop the all the Jammu bound traffic near Khanabal. “As per the official announcement the traffic was from Srinagar to Jammu. But I was directed not allow any Jammu bound vehicle to move beyond Khanabal and I obeyed the orders. Rest I do not know,” Bhat said.
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