SRINAGAR, July 24: The newly installed traffic lights in Kashmir seem to have ushered a change in the movement on roads, even among the Army who have rarely been seen following traffic norms in the region, where systems collapsed during a conflict involving militants and security forces.
With peaceful conditions now, among other things to set things right, traffic signals have been put up to streamline vehicular movement in at least the cities of Kashmir where rules have had scant regard over the past two decades.
But on Monday, Army soldiers were seen disobeying their superior for maintaining the sanctity of the road signals.
An Army convoy was crossing the Sanat Nagar bypass in Srinagar when soldiers chose not to listen to the diktat of their officer, a Caption by rank, who wanted them to violate the red light and make way ahead.
Such scenes are rare in Kashmir where the Army has had frequent skirmishes with officers of the traffic police over discipline on the roads and entire traffic would remain suspended in parts from where the Army convoys had to move.
On Monday only a part of the convoy had crossed the square when the traffic signal for the highway track started blinking red.
As the drivers, including those in the convoy applied breaks, the officer was seen shouting out from his vehicle to “give a damn” to the signal and to move ahead, a local daily wrote.
But surprisingly their vehicles didn’t move and waited for the lights to turn green.
Although Chief Minister Omar Abdullah once publicised his ‘respect’ for the road signals by stopping near a crossing as the light turned red, yet authorities in Kashmir are still to be seen disciplining themselves in this regard.
Last week, on the Airport Road traffic signals were flouted to facilitate VIP movement while thousands of ordinary people remained stranded for around an hour.
