Srinagar, September 1: From August 28-30, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was open to 11,616 fruit, vegetable, and poultry trucks, according to government authorities.
Approximately 5386 Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) were reported to have used the highway on 30 August. This number includes 3281 trucks, 1138 oil tankers, 141 petrol tankers, 654 fruit trucks, 69 vegetable-laden trucks, 85 poultry trucks, 26 sheep trucks and 181 Food Corporation of India (FCI) food grain trucks.
Between the two sides of the highway, officials estimate that 7427 goods vehicles, 1041 fruit trucks, 277 vegetable trucks, 181 FCI trucks, 85 poultry trucks, 26 sheep trucks, and 255 buses made the crossing during the course of the three days.
They reported that the cars made it to their destinations within the allotted 8-10 hours with quite little delays.
A team led by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta conducted a comprehensive review of this road in person from Srinagar to Ramban, and the results were reportedly a decrease in the waiting time of truck drivers on the highway.
According to them, this prompted the traffic department to issue a new warning telling drivers not to get in the way of HMVs with less than four axles on the road and giving them easy access to their destinations.
In preparation for the next fruit season, when thousands of more cars carrying perishable goods use the road each day, authorities have issued a new advice, they say.
They also noted that it encouraged field workers to prioritise the movement of HMVs carrying perishable goods like fresh produce and meat along this route.
Department authorities stated truck drivers should avoid overloading their vehicles and rigorously comply to the regulations of carrying the weight to prevent any unscheduled vehicle breakdowns along the road.
It reportedly also requested that only fully functioning trucks be allowed to operate on the steep road.
They say it even instructed them to drive at a pace that wouldn’t impede other types of cars on the road, so that everyone could get where they were going in around 8-10 hours.
It was reported that during Mehta’s visit, the crew saw the development of various tunnels, viaducts, and flyovers now under process.
The team, according to the officials, had instructed the NHAI to always have the minimum roadway for two-side movement of HMVs available in the challenging parts at Dalwas, Mehar, Cafeteria Morh, and other regions prone to landslides.
New cautions were previously published about the unrestricted entry for cars with four axles or less at the Chief Secretary’s directive during his visit.
As a direct consequence, there was a complete absence of such cars stopping on the route anywhere near Qazigund, Anantnag, or Jakhani, Udhampur.
Because of this, hundreds of HMVs that were previously held for hours at these checkpoints are now free to continue on the roadway.
