Daily traffic chaos cripples movement in Shopian, patients, commuters hit hard

Shopian, May 26: Persistent traffic congestion in South Kashmir’s Shopian town has become a daily ordeal for commuters and residents, with major roads witnessing frequent gridlocks that disrupt movement, delay ambulances and expose long-standing infrastructural shortcomings.
Key stretches, including Hospital Road, Four Way Chowk and Bonabazar, are witnessing regular bumper-to-bumper traffic, particularly during peak hours, turning short commutes into prolonged delays and causing inconvenience to motorists, pedestrians and residents.

Residents blame the worsening traffic situation primarily on the absence of adequate parking facilities, widespread roadside and wrong-side parking by commuters and shopkeepers, and increasing vehicular movement on already narrow roads. According to locals, busy commercial areas have effectively turned into bottlenecks, severely hampering smooth traffic flow.

“Sometimes it takes half an hour just to cover 200 to 300 metres near Hospital Road,” said Ashiq Hussain, a commuter, while describing the severity of daily congestion. He said the widening of some crucial roads in the town had become necessary to ease pressure on existing infrastructure and improve mobility.
Social activist Mitha Gatoo echoed similar concerns, saying patients are among the worst affected due to recurring traffic jams on Hospital Road, a vital route connecting healthcare facilities and commercial areas.

“Patients suffer the most due to traffic jams along this crucial road,” he said, adding that ambulances frequently get trapped in congestion, resulting in potentially dangerous delays during medical emergencies.

Calling for immediate corrective measures, Gatoo demanded the construction of concrete dividers along major roads to streamline vehicular movement and reduce chaos. He also identified the lack of designated parking spaces as a major contributor to congestion.
Gatoo further pointed out that a mechanised parking facility, which was expected to ease pressure in the town, has remained incomplete despite being under construction for more than a year, aggravating inconvenience for commuters and traders alike.

An official acknowledged the growing problem and said traffic personnel have been deployed at several congested locations to regulate vehicular movement and reduce jams. The official expressed hope that completion of the proposed mechanised parking facility would significantly ease traffic pressure and provide long-term relief to residents and commuters in Shopian town.