By: Ajaz Ahmad War
Srinagar, Jan 24: Ease in transportation system is key to progress and relief of every concerned society of the present world. Experts have time and again stated that transport is the face of development and progress made by any region of the world.
Passengers across Srinagar city and other parts of the Kashmir are saying that both public and private transport systems have failed them. Be it Harwan ,HMT, Lal chowk , Lalbazar, Nigeen , Bemina , Buchpora ,Soura etc all areas of the city are suffering due to lack of quality transport available and above all soon after early time of evening transport disappears from most of the areas of Srinagar city leaving passengers high and dry.
This causes lot of hardships to the people and making them rely on highly costly cabs or autos.
On the other hand,
In Jammu and Kashmir in the year 1948 Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation was founded. It is the agency of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir that provides road transport within Jammu and Kashmir and the adjacent states.
The Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) had purchased 40 electric buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing Hybrid and Electric (FAME) Vehicles scheme of the Central Government. 20 were given to Srinagar city and 20 to Jammu city .Even these buses have disappeared and also the buses that were launched for exclusively women too have disappeared.
Nazir Ahmad, a commuter stated: “Our private buses disappear soon from the roads after afternoon and resort to much overloading. In the Jammu and Kashmir the public transportation system is still outdated and needs massive reforms.
The phenomenon of overloading prevelant across the Jammu and Kashmir makes transportation not just difficult, cumbersome but also a risky affair. At evening time no buses are available in majority of areas of Srinagar making commuting hellish experience.
Shockingly, over the years many deadly traffic accidents on our roads have been attributed to heavy overloading especially in public buses. ”
Pertinently, in the heart of the Kashmir Srinagar city one can easily spot on different routes heavy overloading despite ragging Covid Pandemic and also unavailability of buses in evening. This overloading does not just cause discomfort but especially for the female passengers it causes great distress and trauma.
Masses and experts urge that more buses both private and public should be made available on Srinagar routes and SRTC should not do one step forward and ten step backwards by first taking steps then backtracking.
