Long pending demand for night transport service resolved: Commuters
MASROOR AHMAD
SRINAGAR: The long pending e-buses project has been successfully launched in Srinagar.
The fleet of e-busses, formally launched by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Singh for the City last week, are plying on routes with a fixed schedule. The air conditioned e-buses with CCTV cameras, procured under the Smart City Project, have digital on-boarding facilities and live tracking so that people can be aware of arrival timing of the buses.
Local residents of the Srinagar City welcomed the move as the commuters were facing a shortage of transport facilities in the morning and evening hours.
Commuters from the City had submitted memorandum to the higher authorities several times to facilitate them with public transport, as they were suffering due to lack of public transport facilities, especially during the winter season.
On the other hand, the Transporter Association is anguished over the e-bus service in Srinagar, saying the e-bus operation can prove to be disastrous for the public transport companies and many people associated with these will lose their jobs.
“We told the administration several times that the e-bus service cannot be helpful to the people and it is gross injustice to the transporters,” the Transporter Association added.
Speaking to STATE TIMES, commuters, however, rejected the Transporters Association’s claims.
“We have been repeatedly requesting the administration for night bus service and proper public transport service as residents of Srinagar City, particularly women and students, are facing difficulties due to non-availability of public transport,” one of the commuters said, adding that the transporters never paid heed to the demand of the common man and they were working as per their wishes.
Many people said that when the administration is providing us the best services and if the Transporters Association woke up now, the people will not pay attention to them.
In Srinagar, 49 buses of the fleet are playing till the charging facility comes up at two more places. According to an official, “We have a charging facility at Batwara Srinagar 32 buses can be charged; we need more charging facilities at Batmaloo and Humhama, may be more”, he said.
According to officials currently, 75 e-buses are available and 25 more are being added.
These buses are expected to change entire system that has not seen any intervention in the last many years .This bus fleet will connect Srinagar with Budgam district as well. There is a possibility of a service to Ganderbal later.
Electric buses, as a means of public transport in the City, will be a great advantage, both economically an well as environmentally, concludes a study by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangluru. The researchers calculated that annually over 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission can be saved if just a single diesel bus is replaced by an electric bus. Further average profit earned per day, considering 93 days operation, was Rs 10,393 for the e-bus and Rs 5,692 for a diesel bus.