SRINAGAR: Traffic congestion on just six major road stretches in Srinagar is costing the economy an estimated Rs 6.99 crore every day, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Kashmir. It warned that the actual economic burden would be substantially higher if the city’s entire road network were taken into account.
The study, published in the Springer Nature journal Discover Cities, estimates that congestion on the selected routes results in a daily direct loss of Rs 69.87 million, or about Rs 6.99 crore, after accounting for the value of commuters’ lost time, vehicle operating costs and wear and tear. The researchers say the figure represents only six selected road stretches connecting Srinagar with other parts of the Kashmir Valley and therefore does not capture the full cost of congestion across the city.
The research, titled A micro-level study of the economic losses of traffic congestion delays in Srinagar city of Kashmir valley, was authored by Farzana Ahad, Huma Rashid, Shamim Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Shafi Bhat and Peer Jeelani, all affiliated with the Department of Geography and Disaster Management, School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar. The paper was published in early 2025.
The researchers describe the finding as a significant economic burden, noting that their calculation covers only six road segments. “When we consider the entirety of the road network of Srinagar city, the cumulative financial and time costs are poised to be significantly higher,” the paper says.
The study is based on an on-site survey of traffic conditions, with researchers collecting questionnaire responses from habitual road users and conducting traffic-volume counts. They also monitored travel time, delay time and vehicle speeds throughout the day. Six roads connecting Srinagar to other districts were equipped with video cameras to collect traffic data.
The six stretches examined were Nowgam-Lal Chowk via Natipora, Panthachowk-Lal Chowk via Sonwar; Bhaghat-Lal Chowk; Parimpora-Lal Chowk via Qamarwari; Tengpora-Lal Chowk via Moominabad; and Hazratbal-Lal Chowk via Dalgate.
Among them, the Hazratbal-Lal Chowk stretch via Dalgate recorded the highest congestion cost at Rs 2.34 crore a day, followed by Panthachowk-Lal Chowk via Sonwar at Rs 1.52 crore and Parimpora-Lal Chowk via Qamarwari at Rs 1.04 crore. Bhaghat-Lal Chowk recorded Rs 77.66 lakh, Tengpora-Lal Chowk Rs 79.75 lakh and Nowgam-Lal Chowk Rs 52.5 lakh a day.
The researchers calculated congestion costs by combining the opportunity cost of time with vehicle operating costs and an allowance for wear and tear. Their model estimated the value of an hour at different rates depending on the mode of transport: about Rs 118.32 for car users, Rs 98.83 for two-wheeler users, Rs 55.61 for public transport users and Rs 4.19 for three-wheeler users.
The study found that congestion was particularly severe for private vehicles. Cars accounted for roughly half of the traffic stream, followed by two-wheelers, while public transport represented only a small share of vehicles. The researchers attribute the large presence of private vehicles partly to what they describe as the “unreliable nature of the local public transportation infrastructure”.
Yet the study found a sharp contrast between the number of public transport vehicles and the number of people they carry. Although public transport represented only 6.67 per cent of vehicles, it carried about 54.4 per cent of commuters, according to the paper. Cars accounted for 52.17 per cent of the traffic composition and two-wheelers 35.67 per cent, while three-wheelers made up 5.5 per cent.
“This is a pressing requirement for the improvement and appropriate management of public transportation,” the researchers conclude, arguing that better public transport could automatically reduce the amount of traffic congestion.
The scale of Srinagar’s congestion is also reflected in the study’s delay measurements. Using a reference speed of 20 km/h, the researchers estimated an average delay of about 10.25 minutes per vehicle per trip. With daily traffic estimated at around 1.6 million vehicles, this translates into an estimated 16.47 million minutes of delay every day.
The Dalgate-Hazratbal corridor emerged as particularly costly. At the 20 km/h reference speed, cars on the route experienced an average delay of 18 minutes per vehicle, while two-wheelers experienced 11.4 minutes, three-wheelers 10.2 minutes and public transport 7.8 minutes.
The researchers also point to the rapid growth in Srinagar’s vehicle population. According to Regional Transport Office Kashmir figures cited in the paper, registered vehicles increased from approximately 1.54 lakh in 2004 to 7.22 lakh in 2021, nearly a five-fold increase in 17 years. The study identifies poor road conditions, inconsistent carriageway and shoulder widths, road encroachments, pedestrian movement, poor lane discipline, inappropriate bus-stop locations and uncontrolled on-street parking among the factors aggravating congestion.
The researchers recommend expanding public transport, including dedicated bus lanes, as one of the principal ways of tackling the problem. Other measures suggested include congestion pricing during peak hours, restrictions on private vehicles, cycling and walking infrastructure, carpooling and ride-sharing, intelligent traffic management systems, electronic tolling, bypasses, road widening and flyovers. They also suggest flexible working hours, remote work, greater adoption of electric vehicles and transit-oriented urban planning.
The paper, however, acknowledges limitations. Its calculations cover only selected road segments rather than Srinagar’s complete road network; the value assigned to commuters’ time depends on assumptions that may not fully capture the city’s socioeconomic diversity; and the traffic data may not reflect seasonal changes, festivals or major public events. The researchers also note that pedestrians, non-motorised vehicles and informal transport such as shared taxis were not fully captured.
The authors say future research should cover all primary and secondary roads in Srinagar and incorporate real-time GPS or Internet-of-Things traffic data. They also recommend examining the environmental costs of congestion, including air and noise pollution, and studying commuters’ willingness to shift to public transport, carpooling and non-motorised modes.
