Srinagar, Mar 8: A sharp rise in the number of school buses, private vehicles, and two-wheelers has significantly worsened traffic congestion across several key areas of Srinagar, particularly during peak hours. Commuters and residents have been facing long delays as major intersections and arterial roads struggle to handle the growing volume of vehicles.

Traffic bottlenecks have become a routine sight in the city centre, especially around Jahangir Chowk, one of Srinagar’s busiest junctions that connects multiple major routes. During morning and afternoon peak hours, long queues of vehicles—ranging from school buses and private cars to auto-rickshaws and motorcycles—often bring traffic movement to a crawl.
The situation is equally challenging in residential and commercial areas such as Bagh-e-Mehtab, Barzullah, and Chanapora, where narrow roads and increasing vehicular movement have intensified congestion. Residents say that school timings and office rush hours further compound the problem, as hundreds of vehicles take to the roads simultaneously.
Commuters have reported that the combination of school transport vehicles, growing private car ownership, and the widespread use of two-wheelers has placed immense pressure on the city’s already stretched road infrastructure. Many motorists complain that even short distances now take considerably longer to cover, particularly during morning school hours and late afternoon office dispersal.
Traffic authorities acknowledge that the surge in vehicles has created additional challenges for managing traffic flow in the city. Officials say efforts are being made to regulate traffic at critical junctions, deploy additional personnel during peak hours, and encourage better traffic discipline among drivers.
Urban planners and residents alike have stressed the need for long-term solutions, including improved public transport, better traffic management systems, and infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the rapidly growing number of vehicles on Srinagar’s roads.