Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR, Aug 12: Kashmir Motor Drivers Association (KMDA) and Western Bus Service Association (WBSA) which had dominated the public transport system in Kashmir valley for decades together since 1932 are totally in shambles now.
These two fleets of public transport in Valley which combine had over 1400 buses in 1990 have now to remain contended with near about 700 buses as Government failed to pay attention to boost this system of public transport which received a major jolt in 22 year long turmoil.
With the apathy of the Government towards this largest public transport of Valley which had connected even the remotest villages of Kashmir with Srinagar city and other towns of the Valley besides running bus services from district and tehsil headquarters to Jammu these transporters are at the verge of starvation at present as Government is paying no attention to put the 52 seater passenger bus service system back on rails.
The two fleets of public transport KMDA, which was operating in Southern Kashmir and other parts of then Srinagar and Badgam districts and WBSA which was operating in Northern Kashmir on the one side were affected by the frequent bandhs and strikes during over two decade long turmoil and on the other hand were facing the apathy of the Government resulting in dwindling the number of their vehicles day by day.
The 52 seater bus service was the cheapest system of transport in Valley and easily affordable by the common passengers. And instead of reviving this system of public transport, the successive State Governments introduced the light motor vehicles to replace the traditional transport system.
Instead of coming to rescue of the common man this mode of transport created many problems for the people as well as Government. While on the one hand it proved very expensive for a common man who has to pay more than double the fare which he otherwise had to pay while traveling in a bus, it also added to the congestion on narrow roads of Valley as well as National Highway resulting in frequent traffic jams as five LMVs are required to accommodate the passengers of one 52 seater bus, said Mir Ghulam Rasool a social activist and a Trade Union leader.
This way the mushrooming of LMVs for carrying passengers on Valley roads has led to many problems which is also one of the causes that people are witnessing daily traffic jams at Pantachowk for hours together during the peak time, said Ghulam Mohammad Bhat general secretary KMD.
Bhat said the KMD has been constantly fighting for the revival of 52 seater bus service in Valley and the Association representatives had met the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah recently and submitted a memorandum to him demanding revival of the passenger buses system in Valley by providing 90 percent loan to transporters at six percent interest repayable in 10 years. Though the CM gave an assurance to concede the demand, no decision has been taken by Government.
He said one 52 seater bus was feeding 10 families including its owner, driver and cleaner. He said with the apathy of the Government the transporters towards the passenger transporters the maximum transporters were forced to sell their buses on throwaway prices to pay the loan of banks and finance companies and feed their families.
Expressing concern over the plight of the traditional passenger transporters of the Valley, Bhat said the KMDA with a fleet of 723 vehicles has a strength of 350 buses now while WBSA which had a strength of 700 buses has a fleet of near about 400 vehicles in condition now.
He also criticized the Government decision to shift the KMD Bus Stand from Batamaloo to Pantachowk which is 17 kilometres away from Central of Srinagar City. The Pantachowk is also a bad location and demanded that the Bus Stand be allowed to continue at Batamaloo and 80 buses be allowed to ply via Tangpora near By Pass to districts of Southern Kashmir.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel