After the introduction of e-rickshaws on Srinagar city roads, there is also a need to strengthen further the overall public transport services. There are a number of routes, where the public transport facility is meagre.
Mini buses, which ply in Srinagar city, are almost missing or operate in very small number on such routes. The sumo services are also inadequate. Because of the lack of adequate facility, commuters suffer badly.
They have to wait for long at bus stops for a mini bus and when it finally arrives it is already overloaded.
And more so during the peak hours of morning and evening. In absence of required number of mini buses and sumos on such routes, it becomes difficult for all, particularly college and university students and working women to travel almost daily in overcrowded buses. They face a lot of inconvenience in such situations.
There is a strong demand from women for increase in number of special buses for them and strict implementation of the directive for reservation of seats in other buses.
They say when the women empowerment is being talked about day in and day out, then why the females are being made to suffer by travelling in overcrowded buses and why the concerned authorities are not doing something to resolve the issue.
At the same time, there is a strong demand from several areas of the city for increasing the mini bus and sumo services. The residents allege that they are put to hardships in absence of public transport facility. Even the government officials admit that the public transport facility is meagre on several routes.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Muhammed Aijaz Asad, who is also the Chairman of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Srinagar, during a meeting on Monday ( June 20) accorded approval to operation of services of 120 e-Rickshaws in Srinagar city particularly on the hungry routes, where availability of public transport facility is meagre.
The e-rickshaw (electric rickshaw) service was first started in Srinagar city last month. The e-rickshaw is powered by an electric motor and is an alternative to petrol, diesel and CNG auto rickshaws.
The traders’ community in Old City of Srinagar recently, while welcoming the arrival of e- rickshaws, demanded increase in bus and sumo services as well. The businessmen said that the trade also gets hit when people suffer due to lack of public transport facilities.