Road barricade annoys residents

Afaq Balkhi
Srinagar Jan 04: The barricades erected by the CRPF near the petrol pump, on Soura Buchpora road is resulting in frequent traffic jams and inconvenience to the commuters and pedestrians. Accidents and mishaps are routine scenes and the local residents attribute it to the barricades.
“There was no such barricade or bunker at this particular spot for the last 17 years, not even when the militancy was at its peak” said Lateef Ahmed, a local resident.
“CRPF removed many bunkers and barricades from the city last year but to our surprise they erected this new barricade. It is not only causing inconvenience to us but it is turning out to be a major bottleneck for the smooth flow of traffic”, he added.
The barricade is not only creating problems for the pedestrians but also for the moving traffic. Abdul Hameed a driver said “I have witnessed many accidents at this particular spot. The presence of two schools increases the chances of mishap at this place. Recently a school going boy had a narrow escape while crossing the road”.
Many private vehicles take detour to avoid getting stuck in the traffic jams. “The frequent bumper to bumper traffic hold ups forces me to take the long detour through 90 feet road which consumes extra time”, rues Bashir Ahmed, a government employee while on his way to office.
When asked about the inconvenience caused by the barricades to the people, PRO CRPF said, “The barricades have been set up at various places for security reasons and the CRPF regrets the inconvenience.”