Srinagar: District Administration Srinagar declared the Badyari Chowk to Nehru Park segment of the Boulevard Road as a “No Halt Zone” for vehicles to implement the Decongestion Framework, an official press release informed Tuesday.
It said an order has been issued by Chairman Regional Transport Authority (District Magistrate, Srinagar) Mohammad Aijaz Asad here stating that Boulevard Road as a whole is thronged by large number of locals and tourists, especially during the current season and frequent congestion is observed and traffic jams have become a norm around this road due to unauthorized halt of vehicles which in turn creates a blockage for smooth vehicular passage.
The order further reads that “a number of vendors also gather on the said road stretch of the Badyari Chowk to Nehru Park as it is interspersed with a high density of houseboats, business establishments, hotels and restaurants on both sides. Besides autos, taxis, and private car owners park their vehicles on the main road which often leads to traffic congestion and inconvenience to the commuters and tourists.”
The order stated that the traffic congestion around this area has been a constant maneuverability glitch for the inhabitants along the Boulevard Road in Nishat, Shalimar, Harwan, and surrounding wards/villages and numerous representations have been received from the locals to mitigate this perpetual problem.
Accordingly, the issue has been broached at length in the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting and it was unanimously agreed that necessary steps need to be taken to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Boulevard Road as a whole.
Now, therefore, in the interest of the general public, Badyari Chowk to Nehru Park road segment on Boulevard Road is, hereby, declared as a “No Halt Zone” for vehicles of all types.
The order directed the Traffic Police and other enforcement agencies including the District Police to ensure that no vehicles are parked on the roadside and no linear stops are allowed on the mentioned segment of Boulevard Road.
As per the order, any breach of the instruction shall attract the imposition of a fine under the norms in vogue.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Srinagar Smart City and the concerned Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department respectively shall ensure that signage boards are displayed at appropriate prominent places on both sides of the road to that effect.
The owners of the local business establishments have been advised to help their clients in parking the vehicles within their respective parking of business premises and keep dedicated personnel to regulate the same.