by Shaheen Shafique
Srinagar
For those who travel regularly between Lal Bazar and Lal Chowk, the sight of Mill Stop brings both relief and pain. At any given time of the day, Mill Stop near Lal Bazar is over-crowded with passengers, who wait for public transport buses endlessly.
“I reside near Lal Bazar. It takes me over fifteen minutes to find a bus or a taxi for Bota Kadal,” said Asia, a local girl travels regularly between Mill Stop and Bota Kadal. “Why can’t we have frequent Ladies Special busses on this route?”
Lack of sufficient public transport, both local buses and Sumo taxis, irk mostly students and employees. “My classes start at 10 am, but I am always late because there is no public transport available,” said Mehvish Nazir, a Kashmir University student.
Moreover, Sumo service from Lal Bazar to other parts of Srinagar is restricted to a particular stop, which creates more problems for the passengers.
“I reside in Sadrabal. I always find it difficult to reach home, after leaving my office. It takes me half-an-hour to find a bus at Rajouri Kadal,” said Nasir Ahmad, a bank employee.
Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, puts the ball in central governments court and said, “The facility of mini-buses and electric buses will take time. It’s a project under Government of India (GoI). The addition in a number of Ladies Special will not happen as of now. It too will take time.”
Same is the case with areas like Nowhatta, Gojwara, Rajouri Kadal, Lal Bazar, Sadrabal and Kanitar etc., where lack of public transport has made people’s lives difficult.
(The photograph used as the featured image has no relevance with the story, the image is for representational use)
