JAMMU: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, today chaired a meeting to discuss issues pertaining to traffic management and its regulation in Jammu Division. He laid stress on meticulous road planning, better maintenance and effective traffic regulation in cities, towns and National Highways. The meeting was attended by DIG Traffic Jammu, Deputy Commissioner of Jammu, Samba, Udhampur, SSP Jammu, SSP Traffic Jammu City, SSP Traffic Rural, SSP Traffic NHW Ramban, Director School Education Jammu, Joint Transport Commissioner, RTO Jammu, Joint Commissioner JMC, senior officers from PWD, NHAI, NHIDCL, Sampark, District Administration and other concerned officials. During the meeting, threadbare discussions were held on improving the overall traffic scenario in Towns, Cities and National Highways in Jammu Division. Directions were issued to the concerned authorities to ensure proper maintenance of roads with quality blacktopping and installation of crash barriers, view cutters wherever construction of National Highways and other roads is going on. Reviewing the traffic scenario of Jammu City, the Div Com directed authorities to ensure pothole free roads and eviction of encroachments from connecting and city roads in Jammu. The Div Com instructed PWD and BRO to improve R S Pura-Satwari road, Manda-Nagrota TCP road while NHIDCL was directed to start leveling of the riding/driving surface at Bhagwati Nagar at the earliest. For better traffic movement in Jammu City, directions were issued for identification of spots where roads get damaged frequently, marking on roads, clearing footpaths of encroachments, removal of wreckage, debris or building material that may block roads, installation of road signage showing ‘Nearest Parking’, identification of new vending zones by JMC, and close check on roadside parking of School buses outside schools and proper functioning of Integrated Traffic Management System in Jammu city. RTO Jammu was asked to launch an awareness drive to educate the buyers and sellers of motor vehicles regarding re-registration of the vehicles after sale-purchase and for what types of vehicles and conditions it is not allowed by the Motor Vehicle Department. Reviewing the traffic management on Lakhanpur to Sidhra, Udhampur to Banihal and Jammu- Poonch National Highway stretches, the Div Com inquired from the Traffic SSPs on the latest observations and challenges in smooth traffic flow. The Div Com directed stakeholders to share the observations with the concerned road authorities for improving the traffic. He called for concerted efforts from all concerney for smooth traffic movement on the NH. He further asked the Traffic Department to share data of hotspots of traffic on Rajouri- Poonch NH and for Ramban-Batote-Doda NH to PWD. Directions were also issued to NHAI to ensure proper maintenance of Lakhanpur to Sidhra and Udhampur to Banihal road where road construction works are going on. He further called for identification of truck Laybys, decongestion of Towns, appointing nodal officers by Deputy Commissioners for resolution of traffic related issues among departments and monitoring of maintenance works
