Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Dr. Rakesh Minhas, who is also the Chairman Regional Transport Authority, today convened a meeting to review and finalise the functioning and operationalisation of the New Bus Stand Jammu.
The meeting focused on resolving traffic congestion, streamlining transport operations and implementing systematic route-wise allocation of bays and ticketing counters.
The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioners, Vidhu Shekhar and Ansuya Jamwal, SSP Traffic Jammu City, Amit Bhasin, Regional Transport Officer Jammu, Jasmeet Singh besides representatives of various Taxi and Tempo Traveller associations and other concerned departments.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner made it unequivocally clear that the unnecessary choking of city roads will no longer be tolerated. Strict directives were issued stating that no taxi or tempo will be allowed to halt or cause bottlenecks at vital traffic nodes, particularly near St. Peter's School, BC Road, Ambphalla Chowk, Indira Chowk, KC Chowk, Hari Singh Park and the Government Super Speciality Hospital.
A detailed formal order containing these regulatory measures has been issued. For the awareness of the general public, copies of this detailed order have been shared on official social media accounts of District Magistrate Jammu besides other media platforms. No operator shall operate from any bay or Ticketing Counter other than the one allotted without prior written approval of the RTA, the order mandates.
To address the issue comprehensively, the DC announced a dedicated, earmarked space for taxi and tempo operators. The top floor of the JDA parking facility at the Jammu Bus Stand has been allocated exclusively for taxi and tempo unions to function as a centralised boarding and deboarding hub for all routes, a move aimed at bringing order to the city's transport network and easing congestion within core city limits.
To ensure uniform compliance, Dr. Minhas made clear that any unauthorised boarding and deboarding, whether by taxi and tempo associations or any other bus service, will be strictly penalised.
It was also mandated that Jammu Smart City Buses must conduct their boarding and deboarding operations solely from within the Bus Stand premises, besides other designated bus stops.
The DC directed SSP Traffic Jammu City and RTO Jammu to ensure rigorous on-ground enforcement of all decisions taken during the meeting, while assuring full administrative support to unions that comply with the new directives.
Representatives of the taxi and tempo unions widely welcomed the announcement, lauding the allocation of the space as a beneficial and much-needed initiative.