CAUTION MISSING
The frequent accidents on the roads of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory are the testimony to the fact that the much necessary caution among the commuters is missing miserably as vehicles have been colliding very often and plunging into deep gorges day in and day out leading to deaths and injuries, which is quite unfortunate. The whole gamut with regard to skills of drivers in the UT seems to be topsy-turvy as more often the so-called professional people do the mistake while on wheels though the accidents by the other population is also quite common. The need of the time is that the transport department, which issues the licenses should ensure that no person with poor skills be allowed to steer vehicles in the UT as this is very important to ensure mishap-free driving in the region. Hardly there is a day, when the accidents were not hogging the headlines of the newspapers with tragic loss of lives and infliction of grave injuries to the people of J&K. There is dire need that carelessness should be shunted out from the roads and only those commuters who are sincere and disciplined be allowed to drive in the Union Territory. There should be no room for complacency as far as traffic movement is concerned because a single inefficient or unskilled driver can cause havoc as in many cases witnessed in the UT. Like other days, yesterday was also a bad day for the commuters who had boarded a mini-bus from Barmeen to reach Udhampur as the ill-fated vehicle plunged into a deep gorge inflicting injuries to nearly 20 people including scores of students. Nevertheless, one can have a sigh of relief as no death has been reported in the accident that took place in Udhampur District. Like in other cases, reports said that the driver lost control over the mini-bus and the vehicle fell into a gorge near Ghordi village. The government has a big responsibility on its shoulders to ensure that roads in J&K become accident-free although for making this a reality much has to be done like making roads safe, training to drivers, pedestrians, and common man about traffic norms, monitoring the fitness of vehicles and above all, raising a dexterous traffic cop fleet, which is dedicated and free from corruption. The day these things will be achieved there is every chance that the accidents will be minimized and people can move safely on roads and in vehicles.