Illegal bus stand irks Rawal Pora, admin sleeps

Srinagar, Sept 19: While the complaints of alleged mismanagement of public transport in the City continue to pour in, Rawal Pora is facing inconvenience due to illegal bus stand in the residential area.

The City bound mini buses have come up with an “illegal” bus stand right on the road near Rawal Pora bridge while an orchard adjacent to the site is often used for parking of the buses. All this, the residents said, has created a nuisance in the residential area.
Sources said the buses were supposed to take halt around a kilometre away near the Railway Bridge, the site proposed for the designated bus stand.

THE COMPLAINTS
The Rawal Pora locals said the “bus stand” makes their journey miserable. “The buses stop half way, much before most of the populated colonies in the area as a result of which we have to walk a considerable distance on foot,” complained Muneer Ahmed a resident of Wanabal.
The locals alleged that the transport authorities were hand in glove with the transporters. “Otherwise why would they allow the buses to be parked at a non-designated stop,” the residents said.

THE TRAFFIC MESS
The parking of buses on the main road leads to traffic jams during the peak hours. “The main road is already narrow and the congestion gets furthered by the presence of these buses,” the locals said adding gridlocks had become a routine on this road, which leads to Rangreth Industrial estate, a prime business hub on the City outskirts.

THE TRESPASS
On dry days, the mini buses are seen parked at the orchard, which presumably belongs to a migrant family. “It’s a sheer trespass of somebody’s private property and the authorities are sitting silent,” said residents of adjacent Bank Colony.
They said for years the locals had been preventing any encroachment of the orchard land. “But because of the cold response of the concerned, the land is being illegally converted into bus stand,” the residents said.

OLD PLEAS
The locals said for the past many years they appealed the concerned authorities to get the bus stand shifted to its proper location but to no avail.

POLICE SPEAKS
When contacted the SP Traffic Maqsood Ul Zaman agreed that the roadside parking of the mini-buses near the bridge was a hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic. But he said it was not his responsibility to man the affair.
“Basically it’s the job of the motor vehicles department… Still I’ll use my good offices to try get them shifted if the locals are facing inconvenience,” the SP assured.