SRINAGAR, Oct 9: Jammu and Kashmir could be on its way to join a rare club of states offering tube services to commuters.
The government has approached the country’s top-notch consultancy company RITES for introduction of Metro Rail in twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu.
“The RITES group has been asked to prepare a comprehensive mobility plan for the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar taking into account all aspects of mobility, including pedestrians, covering long term and short term measures to overcome traffic congestion and introduction of metro rail,” said transport minister Qamar Ali Akhoon in a written reply to question raised on traffic menace by MLA Chaman Lal Gupta.
According to official figures, 3,927 people were killed in 17276 road accidents across the state in the last three years. Around 25,609 survived fatal accidents.
In 2010, Jammu witnessed 192 deaths in 1,682 accidents. In 2011, there were 190 deaths in 1,627 road accidents as 131 persons were killed in 1085 accidents in the first eight months of 2012.
Jammu has highest number of vehicles at 33,353 compared to all other districts of the state.
Around 12,132 vehicles were registered in Srinagar in 2010 and it’s 17,234 for 2011, according to the government figures. In the first eight months of this year 6,732 vehicles have been registered in Srinagar alone.
Kashmir is witnessing phenomenal rise of vehicles’ registration. The state’s overall registration of fresh vehicles stands at 80,670 and 98,804 for year 2011 and 2012 respectively.
The transport minister said the department has employed 207 under-lift arrangements for lifting vehicles blocking roads.
“The traffic police have installed delineators, traffic cones and road dividers in the twin cities to discipline the drivers,” said Akhoon.
(Courtesy: Hindustan Times)
