Srinagar, July 24: Want to know how concerned the government is towards the transport facility available to Aam Aadmi in the summer Capital? Sample this: Even though thousands of people travel through the mini buses, the much awaited route revamp seems to be a forgotten issue for the authorities as they feign ignorance on who has made the travel “pesky” and what is the remedy.
 Despite admitting that the times goes waste in “obsolete” routes where the buses are subjected to “unduly long diversions”, the authorities seem to be sleeping over the issue.

THE PROBLEM
 A straight path is always shortest. But the authorities managing the City traffic apparently use a distinct wisdom. They make the buses drive on a zigzag route that too the one frequented by traffic jams.
 Sample this: From the City centre, which is obviously the central place, a bus heading towards the north City areas like Hawal, Lal Bazar and Soura, is expected to take a road towards the direction. But the official wisdom in place makes the buses go towards the south City from where after confronting congested streets and traffic jams on the four odd mile diversion they take a U-turn and start heading towards the north.
 Similar is the bus plight of routes for the south City and other areas.
 A bus heading from Jehangir Chowk to Humhama takes a diversion via congested Batamaloo thereby “wasting traveller’s precious time” while the one heading from Batamaloo to Sonawar is diverted via congested Maisuma.

MINISTER FIRST
 Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon put the ball in Traffic police court, saying the department was responsible for the “traffic diversions.”
 “We (Government) want the people to get a convenient travel but the Traffic police is giving these diversions( to buses),” the Minister said adding that the concerned department be contacted for issue.
 “Our job is to provide requisite civil infrastructure, rest they (Traffic police) manage it,” he added.

TRAFFIC POLICE PLEA
A senior official in the Traffic police said the route plans had been there for years adding that Traffic police hasn’t given any new diversions.
 “The buses are plying as per their routes… We haven’t given any diversions,” he told Greater Kashmir.
 Despite admitting that the common man’s time goes waste in the “unduly long travel” he said it was for the Regional Transport Authority to take requisite decision for the route revamp.
 “As of now our job has been to regulate traffic and check and violation of norms, he added.
 When contacted SP Traffic Srinagar Maqsood Ul Zaman said his force has been trying to give the best out of the available resources.
 “Out of the power vested in my chair, I only give temporary traffic diversions as and when need arises… But we don’t give permanent diversions because that’s beyond our competence,” Zaman said.

RTO FACTOR
 Interestingly, like his colleagues, the Regional Transport Officer, Muhammad Anees minced no words to admit that the people could be facing inconvenience in the bus travel.
 “But we don’t have any other options. Unless roads are widened on a large scale new routes cannot be formulated,” Anees told Greater Kashmir. “”We are trying to provide the best out of what is available,” he added.
 But if RTO’s excuse to wait for road widening is to be kept in mind, the public transport mess will obviously remain there for years to come.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST