27th September, 2015 I boarded a
Tempo Traveler at BC Road, Jammu for Srinagar at 07:29. Immediately after the
vehicle picked up motion, it came to rest to obey the signal of the traffic
official on duty to check validity of documents. Strangely, the driver was
delighted. He sprang out without any document and returned with a green
coloured document in hand. It was a cash receipt for Rs.100 against the
compounded challan.
A little ahead within a distance of 200
metres near Shkuntala Cinema hall another traffic party in blue withdrew their
signal to stop when the driver displayed the green challan. This process
continued at Amphalla Chowk, Nagrota and thereafter until we reached the
security check post at the South portal of Jawahar Tunnel. Being in the front seat, I voluntarily took
charge of the green sheet and displayed it to go ahead without any
administrative hassle. Ignorant as I was, at the Security check post, display
of the green sheet did not work. The officials in civvies disclosed their
identity as men from the security wing of the police department with little
concern for implementation of traffic rules and regulations. One of them
stepped in to check and said whether there was any transportation of alcohol.
Many equipped with quarters purchased at Ramban outlet said in one voice “No,
nothing of the sort.” The tallest among them with a bamboo stick in hand craned
his head through the driver’s door to make a search. He said: “Alcoholic smell
reveals your lies.” The driver confessed that he carried one quarter for
himself.
En route, the driver told me that the
traffic officer at the bus stand saw you shooting the scene. He took him aside
and made business. In the bargain at the risk of the passengers, a formula is
formulated in the interest of the transporter, the Government and the men in
the blue. Rs.100 the compounded affordable fine for the challan, valid for 24
hours goes to the Government coffers, Rs. 100 in cash per month to the
concerned traffic officer. I said: “How is the transporter benefited with this
formula?” The driver said that the formula relieves the transporter of all the
obligations of traffic rules and regulations. Even one with learner’s driving
license with green challan cum receipt for fine of Rs.100 in hand can drive a
passenger bus on the route. To check fitness of the vehicle, load, insurance
papers and other documents on road have become obsolete against the green
challan cum receipt for fine of Rs.100. Traffic officers from bottom to top,
the Government and the transporter have entered into a business partnership at
the cost of the passenger.
Avoidable traffic jams on the National
Highway and on city roads are caused due to erratic driving by making three
lane drive on one lane roads. No traffic officer bothers to streamline the traffic
in proper queues and discipline the erratic drivers.
August, 2015 militants from across the
border travelled from Kulgam to Udhampur in a truck and successfully
accomplished their mission to attack BSF convoy at Udhampur. The Police claims
that the truck driver and others who executed the plan have been apprehended.
One wonders how the truck not meant for
passengers was allowed to carry armed militants by the brigade of traffic
officials on the National Highway en route Kulgam to Udhampur. The concerned
Police Chief and the traffic officers allowing transportation of passengers in
trucks must not go scot free. They too must be punished for their failure to
perform.
I recall the days of early sixties, when
the traffic regulators were deterrent and would streamline the traffic
smoothly. People still remember the names of Dina Nath Trakroo (Patel) the then
SSP traffic for Jammu and Kashmir State, Prithvi Nath Zutshi-Prethea Bomber, Farooq Bazaz,
Badri Nath, Hriday Nath Punjabi, Mustaffa Vakil, Gaffar Sofi, Ghulam Ahmad
Totta, Ghulam Mohammad Malik, Aman Ullah Khan, Gopi Nath Voenth, Bansi Lal Kaw,
O N Bhan and many others.
The traffic department became target of
political vendetta when the traffic was clubbed with the State Police In 1964
during the regime of G M Sadiq. Thereafter the traffic and the traffic
Department are in a mess
