People preparing for Eid deserve orderly roads, safer movement, and a government willing to act before congestion spirals out of control
As the Kashmir Valley moves toward Eid-Ul-Adha, the familiar signs of festive activity are visible across markets, town centres and highways. Shops are filling up, transport demand is rising, and families are preparing for one of the most important occasions of the year. But along with this sense of anticipation comes another certainty, crippling traffic congestion that turns routine movement into an exhausting ordeal. Every year, the same pattern repeats itself. Roads in Srinagar and other major towns remain clogged for hours, emergency movement becomes difficult, public transport loses reliability, and pedestrians are pushed into unsafe conditions. If the administration is serious about easing public inconvenience, a focused and time-bound traffic decongestion plan must be put in place well before the Eid rush peaks. This is not merely a matter of festive management. It is a question of public order, economic efficiency and civic dignity. During the days leading up to Eid, commercial hubs witness a sharp increase in footfall, but road space remains occupied by haphazard parking, unchecked roadside vending, poorly regulated public transport stops and casual violations that go largely unpunished. In many places, bottlenecks are already known. Yet interventions often remain reactive rather than preventive. Officials appear on the ground only after chaos has taken hold. A serious plan must begin with identifying vulnerable stretches in Srinagar, the district headquarters and key market towns. Parking zones need to be clearly earmarked and strictly enforced. Encroachments that obstruct movement must be removed without selective action. Public transport routes should be rationalised for peak hours, with temporary diversions where necessary. Traffic personnel must be visibly deployed at pressure points, not merely stationed symbolically. Equally important is coordination between traffic police, civil administration, municipal bodies and market associations. Without joint execution, even well-drafted plans collapse. The larger concern is that Kashmir’s traffic crisis can no longer be viewed as a seasonal inconvenience. Eid only exposes a deeper urban management failure that affects patients, students, workers and traders alike. A government that speaks often of development must recognise that mobility is among the most basic public services. People at large do not expect miracles; they expect order, foresight and relief from avoidable suffering. Before Eid arrives, the authorities have an opportunity to show that governance can still be visible on the roads. If they fail again, the Valley will once more pay the price in wasted hours, frayed tempers and public frustration.
