Sonamarg, Dec 26 (KNO): Terming overloading as a major cause of accidents, Transport Secretary Avny Lavasa on Friday said that weighbridges play a vital role in ensuring road safety.
Lavasa, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), visited Sonamarg to review the functioning and facilities at the Weighbridge, with a focus on road safety and effective traffic management.
While addressing the officers, she said, “We are assessing the condition of weighbridges and exploring ways to upgrade infrastructure wherever required.”
She said, “Traffic management in Sonamarg is a joint effort of district police, traffic police and the Motor Vehicles Department. While traffic flow varies depending on demand, there is coordination among all agencies. Our focus remains on providing a smooth and safe experience to tourists and locals alike.”
The Secretary said that staff-related facilities and technological upgradation of weighbridges will be addressed. “Wherever improvements are needed, these will be taken up in the next financial year,” she added.
During the visit, the Secretary was accompanied by RTO Kashmir, ARTO Ganderbal Arif Parvaiz, officers of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and SHO Sonamarg.
The inspection covered the operational status of the weighbridge, availability of manpower and the overall infrastructure.
Officials were directed to ensure strict enforcement of axle load norms, prevent overloading and regulate traffic smoothly to protect road infrastructure and reduce the risk of accidents. Emphasis was also laid on maintaining transparency in operations, strengthening coordination among departments and ensuring round-the-clock functioning of the weighbridge, especially during peak tourist and traffic seasons.
The visit aimed at strengthening transport enforcement mechanisms and improving public service delivery in the Sonamarg area—(KNO)