The prolonged failure of traffic signals across Jammu city has resulted in severe traffic congestion, causing daily inconvenience to commuters and raising serious concerns over urban traffic management. Most traffic lights, part of the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), have remained non-functional for months, turning major intersections into choke points.
Several signals installed at prominent locations, including outside the Civil Secretariat, near Women College Parade, and at Kachi Chawni Chowk, are either defunct or poorly positioned. Officials acknowledge that many of these signals have not functioned optimally since their installation, resulting in confusion and unregulated traffic movement.
The situation has worsened due to ongoing construction works at Satwari Chowk, Kunjwani Chowk, and along Narwal Road, which have reduced road capacity. This has led to increased congestion, especially with the surge of additional vehicles due to the Darbar Move, winter migration from Kashmir and Ladakh, and the ongoing wedding season.
In the absence of functional traffic signals, intersections frequently descend into chaos, forcing traffic police personnel to manually regulate movement. Office-goers, students, and patients experience regular delays, while pedestrians face dangerous conditions as they often have to walk on carriageways due to encroachments on footpaths.
Officials have pointed to footpath encroachments by street vendors and illegal structures significantly narrowing road space, aggravating congestion. Unregulated reharis have emerged as major bottlenecks in several markets and residential areas.
Commuters express concern about increased fuel consumption and rising pollution levels, as vehicles remain stuck in long traffic jams for prolonged periods. Despite non-functional signals, challan cameras continue to operate, sparking resentment among motorists who feel penalized for circumstances beyond their control.
Traffic department officials stated that efforts are underway to assess the situation and deploy additional manpower at busy junctions. However, no timeline has been officially announced for the restoration of the traffic signal system.
Residents have urged the district administration, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu Smart City Limited, and the Traffic Police to take urgent steps to restore traffic signals, clear encroachments, and streamline traffic flow across the city. The situation calls for immediate action to alleviate the daily gridlock that plagues Jammu’s commuters.
