Srinagar, March 23 Three tourists were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Officials said that three tourists were killed and 14 others were injured when a car carrying tourists had a head-on collision with a bus in Kulan, Gund area of the district.
“The car carrying tourists crashed hitting a bus coming in the opposite direction head-on. Police, personnel of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and civilians started an immediate rescue operation. Three tourists died in this accident while the injured were shifted to a local hospital from where the critically injured were shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment,” the officials said.
Further details were awaited.
On March 20, nine tourists were injured when an overspeeding mini-bus carrying them went out of the driver’s control and turned turtle on the road in the Mirbazar area of Kulgam district.
Traffic department officials attribute these accidents to overspeeding, over-loading, bad road conditions and road rage.
Transport department authorities have made public the punishments such offences attract.
Cancellation of driving licences in case of rash and negligent driving, cancellation of registration of vehicles driven by minors and imprisonment of parents, who give vehicles to minor children for driving.
Traffic department officials have seized more than 3,000 vehicles, including cars/SUVs/motorcycles/Scooties that were involved in traffic violations.
Filling stations across J&K have been advised not to provide fuel to motorcyclists coming without wearing helmets to filling stations.
As an encouragement for safe driving, the department has also been distributing helmets among two-wheeler drivers and their pillion riders. In the majority of cases, traffic department officials say, motorcycle drivers wear helmets while the pillion riders often seem without any headgear.
“This amounts to endangering the lives of your near and dear ones. Sensible and responsible driver will first of all ensure protection of pillion rider," a senior police officer said.
The traffic department has posted special squads all along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway trying to ensure strict compliance with road safety rules.
Long traffic jams on this strategic highway are often created by vehicles jumping the queue at a narrow stretch of road between Ramshoo and Ramban.
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