Overloading in buses, cabs takes toll on passengers in Srinagar

Srinagar, Dec 17: The passengers using public transport in Srinagar have decried overloading in buses and cabs and urged the authorities to take action against the offenders.

The passengers said that during peak hours, the lack of monitoring of buses and cabs gives free hand to drivers to resort to overloading.

The aggrieved passengers including students, employees said that public transport, including cabs, e-rickshaws, buses, and smart city buses, are most of the time overloaded,  The passengers traveling from the city centre Lal-Chowk to Hazratbal and uptown said that cab operators resort to overloading during peak hours.

“The cabs that operate from Exchange Road and Maisuma push four passengers in the middle seat, which is supposed to accommodate only three passengers. The cabs, especially those operating in Hazratbal outskirts, resort to overloading, which is taking a toll on us. These routes also have scarce cabs, which have added to woes of passesngers during peak hours,” Ashraf Bhat, a private employee.

The passengers said that in addition to cabs, the buses, including smart city buses, are also overloaded during peak hours. “This is unfortunate, and authorities should press more vehicles to cater to a huge influx of passengers. After sunset, there is a huge rush of office goers and other passengers rushing to reach their destination, and amid the lack of a strong public transport system, they face massive overloading. The issue will not be addressed unless proper measures are implemented, " another passenger said.

The passengers said that the e-rickshaws are also overloaded, and since last year, many accidents occurred in which passengers got injured. Many female passengers said that the overloading in public transport risks their lives and makes it uncomfortable for them to travel in public transport.

“It is a difficult situation for us, especially during peak hours. Everyone cannot afford a personal vehicle, and authorities should look into the issue,” said a female passenger. The passengers appealed to traffic police to launch major drives against overloading in the Srinagar area.

SSP Traffic City Muzaffar Ahmad Shah said they are intensifying the crackdown on all traffic violations. “We will ensure that the overloading issue in public transport is also addressed. We have covered scores of areas, and we also talked to public transport stakeholders regarding various traffic issues. We will ensure to intensify these drives so that passengers won’t face any problems,” Shah said.