Ajay Sharma
Sunderbani, January 12: A few days ago, ‘The Northlines’ highlighted the recurring menace of overloading in public transport across the twin districts of Rajouri and Reasi. However, instead of taking corrective measures, the Traffic Department has allegedly sought the help of local agents to suppress the dissemination of this information.
According to sources, following the publication of the news report exposing rampant overloading of vehicles in Rajouri and Reasi, the Traffic Department allegedly approached local agents to have the report removed from various platforms.
“The report not only shed light on the risks posed by overloading but also unveiled allegations of collusion between traffic police officials and agents,” sources revealed. They added that instead of addressing the issue, the traffic police allegedly focused on silencing the report’s reach.
Sources further claimed that certain traffic police officials contacted agents and drivers implicated in the overloading issue, pressuring them to work towards the removal of the report from social media groups. The officials allegedly threatened to seize vehicles if their demands were not met.
“One agent based in Sunderbani is said to have coordinated with traffic police officials. Call logs between these agents and officials could serve as critical evidence,” said the sources, suggesting that the coordination appears to prioritize shielding offenders rather than enforcing the law.
The original news report featured images of severely overloaded vehicles carrying children and students, highlighting the grave risks to public safety.
However, instead of taking immediate action to address the issue, officials allegedly resorted to controlling the narrative by intimidating reporters.
The reporter who published the story was reportedly approached by a driver, urging him to refrain from publishing similar reports in the future and to remove the existing report from all platforms.
Meanwhile, locals have expressed their outrage, questioning why the authorities, who are responsible for public safety, appear to be more invested in maintaining their “arrangements” with agents.
They have demanded that senior officials launch a thorough investigation, including examining call records of the concerned traffic officials, to determine the extent of their involvement with the agents.
“It’s shocking how the authorities are making a mockery of their responsibilities,” said locals. “Instead of addressing overloading, they seem more focused on silencing those who expose the truth.”
