The persistent malfunction of traffic signals throughout Jammu city has plunged citizens into a daily struggle with severe traffic congestion. With numerous traffic lights under the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) remaining out of order for months, major intersections have transformed into gridlocked choke points, affecting thousands of commuters.
Key locations, such as outside the Civil Secretariat, near Women College Parade, and at Kachi Chawni Chowk, feature numerous non-operational signals or signals that are poorly positioned. Officials confirm that many of these signals have not functioned properly since their initial installation, leading to chaos and unregulated traffic flow.
The situation has escalated further due to ongoing construction works at critical junctions like Satwari Chowk, Kunjwani Chowk, and along Narwal Road, which significantly reduce road capacity. The influx of vehicles, driven by the Darbar Move, seasonal winter migration from Kashmir and Ladakh, and the ongoing wedding season, places even greater strain on the already congested roadways.
In the absence of functional traffic signals, traffic police frequently find themselves managing chaotic intersections manually. This predicament leaves office-goers, students, and patients facing substantial delays, while pedestrians navigate busy carriageways due to encroached footpaths.
Officials indicate that intrusions from street vendors and illegal structures have drastically narrowed road space, worsening congestion. Unregulated street vendors have turned logistics in several markets and residential areas into near-impossible navigable areas.
Commuters express frustration at increased fuel consumption and heightened pollution levels as vehicles languish in prolonged traffic jams. Despite the inoperative traffic signals, challan cameras remain active, prompting resentment among motorists who argue that they are penalized for circumstances outside their control.
Traffic department officials acknowledge the growing crisis and state that efforts are underway to evaluate conditions and to deploy additional personnel at the busiest junctions. However, they have yet to announce a concrete timeline for restoring the malfunctioning traffic signals.
Residents of Jammu have voiced urgent appeals to district administration, the Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu Smart City Limited, and the Traffic Police. They demand prompt measures to restore traffic signals, clear encroachments, and facilitate smoother traffic flow across the city. Collectively, the community awaits targeted solutions to reclaim their daily commutes.
