Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Dec 2: The non availability of public transport during evening hours in several parts of South Kashmir particularly Pulwama, Awantipora, and Shopian areas is causing inconvenience to working professionals, daily wagers, students and patients.
The locals said that they remain stranded on roadsides on a daily basis especially during the evening hours.
For the past several weeks, residents of these areas said that due to the non-availability of public transport, hundreds of people kept waiting helplessly at sumo stands in main Town Pulwama and adjoining areas.
Locals from Rajpora, Shadimarg, Keller, Tahab, Chandgam, Lassipora, Koil, Awantipora and other peripheral villages said the disappearance of transport from roads during the evening hours has disrupted their routine. “Many a daily workers and students reach home late during these biting cold days.”
“Public transport vanishes off the roads after 5 pm. Everyone does not own a car, and the public is being forced to wait for hours in freezing temperatures. The administration must intervene immediately,” said Sameer Ahmad, a daily commuter from Koil.
He said, “People living miles away from the district headquarters suffer the most. Even though the government provides various facilities to transport unions, commuters fail to receive basic services.”
The locals appealed to the Deputy Commissioner Pulwama to look into this matter. “Patients, college students and those attending tuitions are the main sufferers.”
Zeeshan Ahmad, a student from Pulwama said, “Every evening, people get anxious and frustrated. Public transport remains either unavailable or extremely irregular. We don’t know how to reach home safely after 5 pm,”
“It is not just an inconvenience, it is a daily struggle. Authorities must ensure evening transport on all routes,” said another resident.
An official from the district administration assured that the matter would be examined promptly. “We have taken note of the issue and will look into it at the earliest,” the official said.
