Jammu, Feb 21 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Tuesday in a meeting with traffic authorities said that in no case should the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu exceed beyond seven hours on any day for light motor vehicles.

He said this at a meeting that was called to review the traffic situation on this road, including that of the two cities.

"Mehta enjoined the traffic authorities to submit daily reports about the actual time taken to reach from one city to another. He told them to enhance their personnel on all the damaged portions of the road for better traffic management. He urged them not to let the traffic come to a halt due to any of the hindrances. He asked them to improve the road surface damaged due to weather vagaries at all costs for smooth movement of the vehicles on this road," an official statement said.

Mehta also took stock of the construction works on different projects presently under progress.

He exhorted them to make all out efforts to throw open the T5 tunnel on Panthiyal stretch of the highway by March 15, Jaiswal Bridge by March 31, and the double lane of Ramban Flyover and Banihal by-pass by April 15 of this year.

"On the request of the traffic authorities, the Chief Secretary asked the administration to look into the possibility of taking a traffic holiday for a day every week on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway till March 15 so that it is better utilised for making some crucial repairs and completing few essential work for making travel on this road," the statement added.