Suhail Bhat
The transporters heaved a sigh of relief after the administration allowed them to resume their work from today after remaining shut for almost five months due to COVID 19 pandemic.
The transporters said that they welcome the step as it would help them to earn a livelihood. They, however, said that the mounting insurance premiums and an expected slump in business due to Coronavirus scare is worrying them. “It would be difficult to recover the losses given the circumstances confronting us,” Ghulam Mohammad, a driver said.
The public transport was back on roads after a gap of around five months when the Government suspended it to stem the spread of COVID 19 in March this year. Before that, the transport had operated for three months since the August 2019 lockdown was imposed by the Government.
“This is a welcome step. We would be able to earn our livelihood. We have not earned anything for the last five months. The Government had done nothing to rehabilitate the transporters,” an auto driver from Srinagar said.
The transporters said the majority of them have taken loans from the banks and a good amount of money go into paying the EMIs and insurance premiums. Besides, they said, the plying of the vehicles would mean they have to bear the maintenance cost as well. “For a vehicle we have to pay around Rs 1000-1500 every day. Some owners have to bear the driver’s salary as well. In the present circumstances that much money is difficult to earn,” a driver said.
The fear among people to use public transport due to COVID 19 and the Government’s decision to reduce the number of passengers is also a challenge in front of the transporters.
After an Executive Committee order on August 4, the officials permitted the reopening of 50% shops in all markets and resumption of public transport operations with the boarding of 50% passengers in mini buses and up to a maximum of four passengers in 10-seater maxi-buses and two passengers in taxicabs and auto-rickshaws.
President Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association, Abdul Majeed, said they welcome the decision and requested government to extend the validity of their insurance document. “Except insurance the government has extended the validity of all the documents till 30th September. The bus operators whose insurance is due are scared to deposit the money as they fear that government might impose the lockdown if cases increase again,” he said, adding that special focus should be given to the transport sector that has suffered huge losses since the 5th August last year.
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