Passengers at risk as overloaded vehicles on Anantnag-Kishtwar road go unchecked

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, Jul 27 : The Anantnag-Kishtwar road, a vital road connecting the regions of South Kashmir with the Chenab Valley, is witnessing an alarming trend of overloading in the passenger vehicles.

This practice has raised serious concerns about road safety and the well-being of travellers amidst the occurrences of deadly accidents.

People from both these areas said that overloaded vehicles are a common sight, adding that besides public vehicles, the personal vehicles have been carrying people beyond their capacity that sometimes proves fatal.

Mudasir Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar, who recently visited Kishtwar in a bus from Srinagar, said that he witnessed almost all vehicles carrying passengers beyond their capacity with hardly any checking.

He said that overloaded vehicles are more prone to accidents, as the excessive weight can compromise the vehicle’s handling and braking capabilities, adding that in the event of an accident, the chances of serious injury or fatalities are significantly higher for passengers, who are not seated properly or restrained by seat belts.

Ahmad said that given the tough terrains, chances of the accident remain more and there is a need to take care of it properly.

The local populace have urged the concerned authorities to look into the matter at an earliest so that accidents can be averted.

They said that authorities have repeatedly issued warnings and conducted occasional crackdowns, but these measures have done little to curb the practice.

The lack of regular and strict enforcement allows cab drivers to continue flouting regulations, often under the pressure of meeting high passenger demand, they said and suggested increasing the number of public buses on the route, implementing stricter penalties for overloading, and conducting regular inspections.

Meanwhile, an official told KNO that they are going to deploy more traffic policemen near Daksum and will act tough against the norm violations.

He urged drivers to avoid taking more passengers than capacity and don’t come under any pressure. He said that the increasing the number of buses on the route will be looked into, however, he assured that the strict action will be taken against the violators.