The government order banning civilian movement on national highway twice a week will ground more than 12,000 commercial vehicles on every Wednesday and Sunday affecting livelihood of a large number of transporters, drivers and conductorsÂ
Although every sector of Kashmir economy has got affecteddue to the ban which will witness its second day on Wednesday, transport isamong worst hit due to it.
As per figures presented by the joint conglomerate oftransporters’ bodies – Kashmir Transport Welfare Association- there are around12,000 commercial vehicles in the Valley, which will be grounded twice a week,till the ban is effective.
More than 5,000 vehicles, according to official figures,cross the Banihal toll post to enter Kashmir on an average every day. On lastSunday, when vehicles were stuck due to restrictions, 600 goods laden trucks onway to Kashmir including fuel tankers and trucks carrying LPG were alsogrounded on way at Jammu and Udhampur.
Secretary, Transport Welfare Association, Sheikh MuhammadYusuf said they have written to state transport commissioner apprising him ofthe problems faced by the transport sector due to the ban and almost Rs 2.30crore daily losses suffered by this sector.
Yusuf said of the 12,000 vehicles, 5,000 enter Kashmir while almost 7,000 commercial vehicles leave the Valley on a daily basis.
He said mini-buses and Tata Sumos plying within the Valley also get affected by the ban as the national highway within Kashmir is the main connecting road from North to South of the valley. “Besides, there are auto rickshaws of which most of them are in Srinagar district alone which are affected, big buses in commercial segment and vehicles including tippers, trucks and load carriers etc which come to a standstill.”
He said a local transporter plying within the Valley on anaverage loses Rs 1500 a day if his vehicle is grounded. “Not just that, everytransporter has to pay toll tax, passenger tax and fitness fee. Besides, if heis indebted to bank, he has to pay 14.5 percent interest over and above theinstallment,” he said, adding that the transporters will be incurring lossesand hoping that the order is revoked.
The ban order has come as a shock for drivers as well. Dueto road closure, truck drivers are the ones who are on the receiving end. Theyget stranded for several days and at times have to strive for even basicnecessities. “Due to the closure on last Sunday, it took us additional 24 hours on the highwayto reach Srinagar. This order has compounded our problems,” says MuhammadRamzan, a driver from Kulgam in south Kashmir.
Goods Carrier Transporters Association, president, MuhammadSidiq Ronga says transport sector is already in stress adding that trucksshould be granted the permission for movement as their being grounded not onlydisturbs the trucking business but also affects supplies of essentials to theValley. “Also, the higher authorities should do a recce to have a realisticview on the conditions on the highway. How do they expect to close it down for twodays and make it one way for rest of the days and then expect smooth suppliesto Valley,” said Ronga.