1. Home
2. Letters

Unholy nexus

Kashmir Times. Dated: 2/8/2015 11:10:46 PM

Dear Editor,
As the roads in district Jammu have not expanded, the problems on roads due to ever increasing traffic have multiplied. The traffic related problems have compounded as majority of matadors that operate daily on all the routes of Jammu city do not follow rules and regulations.
The congestion on roads is particularly caused by these vehicles as they stop wherever they deem necessary to pick a passenger and do not mind stopping the vehicle in the middle of the road even if it can cause an accident.
The traffic police appear to be a mute spectator as the matador lobby is strong and also seems to grease the system in the right places. There is no question asked by the police even though the vehicles are overloaded, driven rashly and stopped everywhere except the matador stops. The rashly driven vehicles have caused accidents several times but since there are many legal loopholes the culprits know that there is little which can happen in an accident case.
Several complaints of over-charging, fleecing of tourists, and loud music blaring from these matadors have been reported but the traffic officials seem to be sleeping.
An important issue which has cropped up is the use of mobile phones by the drivers which can put the lives of many in danger. Local matadors and mini-buses have become a menace hindering the normal movement of vehicular traffic. This is very common that matador drivers and conductors are not in uniform as per the government rules. Over-speeding on most routes and often people are forced to sit on the roof which is quite dangerous.
In fact, the civil society in Jammu wants that firstly the local matador operators should be controlled and asked to operate in an organized manner and secondly a more reliable and comfortable transport system like the metro should be introduced in Jammu as is being done in major cities across the country.
The matador system has served the city well in past but Jammu needs a better and more eco-friendly mode of transport, feel people.
K L Bhatia,
Shastri Nagar, Jammu.