Locals seek Srinagar to Uri RTC bus service

Srinagar, Nov 4: Inhabitants of remote Uri area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have demanded the start of non-stop and direct Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses on Srinagar to Uri route in the early hours of the morning.

A delegation of locals said that in absence of such a service they are facing a lot of hardships and particularly the government employees and patients who have to travel on a daily basis.

“We demand that the government run nonstop and direct JKRTC buses between Srinagar-Uri route. It should leave early in the morning from Srinagar and return back in the evening. This would surely help the employees who travel to Uri for their jobs,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a local.

“Though the department is running early morning direct bus services from Srinagar to other districts, only the Uri area has been neglected,” he added.

Expressing his concern, Shafiq Ahmad Bhat, another local said that one can’t afford the cab fare on a daily basis. “The cab fare from Srinagar to Uri is Rs 250 while you can reach in JKRTC bus at Rs 100,” he said.

“If the direct and early morning bus service is started, it can also boost the business community in Uri as traders could easily pick and drop their goods,” he said.

“Though the department is running a bus service between Uri to Srinagar route but that has a halt in Baramulla of more than an hour. It leaves at 8 am from Uri and reaches around 12.30 pm in Srinagar. Then it leaves back for Baramulla at 1.30 pm and reaches Uri at 6.00 pm,” they said adding, “Now we demand that early morning bus service from Srinagar to Uri should also be started.”

When contacted, Managing Director JKRTC, Rakesh Kumar Srangal, he said, “This issue has now come to my notice. I will look into it.”