Srinagar: Despite protest by the traders and transporters in Batamaloo against shifting of General Bus Stand there to Parimpora in city outskirts, the government said it is going to shift the Stand for public convenience very soon.
Transporters who are plying their buses from Batamaloo Bus stand had held two-days strike and did not ply their buses on inter-district routes.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan said the administration is in the process of shifting the Bus Stand from Batamaloo to Parimpora to decongest the summer capital from increasing traffic jams and vehicular rush.
“Whatever decision we are taking or implementing is done to keep the public convenience and public interest in consideration. The city is facing huge traffic rush and jams, so we have to take steps to decongest it,” Khan told KNS.
He said that the shifting of the Bus stand has been partially done and “we are completely starting the Parimpora Bus Stand very soon”.
Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association (KTWA) protested the Government’s decision of shifting the General Bus Stand Batamaloo to Parimpora by August 1.
The shopkeepers of Batamaloo also observed the strike to protest the shifting of the General Bus Stand as they say it will affect their livelihood.
Manager of Batamaloo Bus Stand, Muhammad Sultan Dar, said the government is “snatching of our livelihood by the decision.”
“We have been fighting from many years to stop Government from shifting this General Bus Stand with which lots of areas, hospital, college and courts are attached but Government is unmoved and it has decided to shift to Parimpora. But we won’t shift.”
The Divisional Commissioner said that the government is providing all the facilities to the transporters and shopkeepers at the Parimpora Bus Stand.
He said the buses will ply from inter-district routes till Parimpora and passengers entering into the city will avail transport facilities that have been planned to ply from Parimpora to the city.
This will be second bus stand to be shifted out of the city. Earlier, KMD bus stand at Lalchowk was shifted to Panthachowk in Srinagar outskirts. (KNS)
