JKSRTC staff seek lifting of ban on electric buses in Srinagar

"These vehicles are currently parked at the Lala Rukh Hotel Yard in Lal Chowk. The value of each vehicle is Rs 1 crore and these vehicles do not cause any kind of environmental pollution. The people are facing a lot of problems due to the closure of the bus service," Habibullah Reshi, General Manager, JKSRTC, told ETV Bharat.

Srinagar: About 20 electric busses owned by the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) are lying idle after being barred from plying in the Srinagar city since November 19. Flagged off in July 2020 by the then Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, the busses were part of a contingent of 40 busses given to the JKSRTC under the phase-II of the Union government's FAME India scheme. The 40 busses were evenly distributed between Srinagar and Jammu.

"These vehicles are currently parked at the Lala Rukh Hotel Yard in Lal Chowk. The value of each vehicle is Rs 1 crore and these vehicles do not cause any kind of environmental pollution. The people are facing a lot of problems due to the closure of the bus service," Habibullah Reshi, General Manager, JKSRTC, told ETV Bharat.

Reshi said that on November 19, the traffic department informed them that these vehicles cannot operate in Srinagar as they do not have the proper documents to run in the city.

"When we told them that these vehicles belong to the government and are not barred from operating anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir, after which they said that these vehicles cause traffic jams in the city. Surprisingly, other private-public buses don't cause traffic problems but these 20 buses do," he exclaimed.

Taking about his discussion with the district administration in this regard, Reshi said, "everything has been brought to their notice. However, nothing has happened so far but we are being told that the matter is being looked into."

Meanwhile, the drivers of those buses said that people are facing difficulties because of the ban on these vehicles.

"The fare of this vehicle is low compared to other modes of transportation available in the city. Students, employees and the general public used it. People come here every day but go back disappointed," the drivers said.

"We request the administration to lift the ban on these vehicles as soon as possible to bring relief to the daily commuters of the city," they said.

When contacted regarding the issue, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K. Pole, said, "I am busy at the moment but I will get back to you after getting all the details on the issue."