Jammu, Dec 12: Jammu city faces severe traffic gridlock as most signals under the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) remain non-operational for months, turning a promised modern solution into widespread commuter chaos and frustration.
Critical intersections like Vikram Chowk, Jewel Chowk, Asia Crossing, Railway Crossing, Indira Chowk, Shakuntala Chowk, Vigilance Rotary, Amphalla Chowk, Janipur High Court Road, Valmiki Chowk, Gujjar Nagar Chowk, RBI Turn, and Main Stop Gandhi Nagar suffer endless tailbacks and erratic vehicle flows due to the failed Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) signals originally designed to curb congestion and enforce discipline.
Daily travelers endure hours in bumper-to-bumper jams, with winter’s shorter days exacerbating delays and ripple effects on nearby areas; office-goers report disrupted schedules while pedestrians face heightened safety risks from haphazard parking and encroachments by commercial vehicles. Irate residents like Mohinder Jeet Singh and Sameer Sharma decry the neglect as favoring VIPs over common citizens, demanding urgent fixes.
Traffic police manage junctions manually with hand signals and sticks amid peak-hour volumes and unruly drivers, but the approach proves inadequate against overwhelming odds. SSP Amit Bhasin acknowledged the crisis, confirming repairs have started with agency support and full functionality expected within 2-3 days to restore order and public trust in the system.
