J&K chief secy calls for ways to cut travel time on Srinagar-Jammu national highway

Srinagar, Aug 25 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday called for finding ways to reduce travel time on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for heavy motor vehicles ahead of the fruit season this year.

The chief secretary held detailed deliberations with all stakeholders, including highway authorities, in this regard, an official spokesperson said.

During the meeting, the traffic authorities presented empirical data on the actual movement of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) on the highway and their driving patterns.

The traffic on the 70-km stretch of Navyug and Chenani-Nashri Tunnels for 15 days was considered, the spokesperson said.

Mehta asked officials to keep an eye on slow-moving vehicles and enquire from each of them about the reasons.

He also advised penalising erratic drivers who cause inconvenience to others.

Mehta asked highway authorities and deputy commissioners to designate no-halt zones.

He asked them to take steps to improve the roads near the slide-prone stretches at Dalwas, Mehad, Cafeteria Morh and Sher-Bibi.

He insisted on better coordination between the traffic and district police.

Regarding movement of fruit trucks from the Valley, the chief secretary stressed on taking fruit associations onboard while devising the traffic plan.

Mehta asked for marking fruit-laden trucks with specially-designed stickers for their identification and giving unhindered access to reach the Mandis.

He also directed deputy commissioners of the Valley to establish district control rooms in their offices for giving real-time updates to fruit growers about the roads and other issues.