Dreams are auspicious or ominous. Persons, corporates and bodies dream. All dreams do not fail maturity to materialise. As dreamers matter for the sanctity of the dreams, people on whom these come true are no less important for they are either to enjoy or suffer, sooner or later, momentarily or perpetually, physically or psychologically, economically or socially. Dreamers are achievers too. Dreams entail danger or development so turn to haunt as nightmares or embrace as pleasures. Fortunate is the lot that witnesses the latter. Shifting of General Bus Stand Batamaloo is one such a dream come true. In line with the thence new concept of General Bus Stand wherefrom public transport would ply to all districts headquarters/routes as a single line transportation, the Western Bus Stand at Batalamoo, with the shifting and merger of the erstwhile Eastern Bus Stand at Amirakadal with it became General Bus Stand Batamaloo. The people at large enjoyed the quicker and the cheaper connectivity with ease till the idea of shifting the GBS Batamaloo in some minds found expression and began to fructify. Although decades old proposal matured its new site at Parimpora it looks a little celebration for the general public unlike relocating of two main offices of Hon’ble High Court of J & K and the Principal District & Sessions Judge Srinagar at Diwan Bagh Srinagar near Legislative Assembly and Mominabad Batamaloo respectively positives of which prima-facie soothe the viewer.
These wisely devised better alternatives have really facilitated accommodation to the honourable legal fraternity, clientele, easy & quick access providing a serene atmosphere to honourable judiciary & judicature to carry on with duties/rights and responsibilities required of their job profile. The third big move in the name of decongesting civil lines area from GBS Batamaloo has proved to be unlike of the earlier two moves . May be a default planning unlike General Bus Stand Jammu which, though shouldering 50 percent more traffic than GBS. Batamaloo, is functioning undisturbed at its original place in the centre of the Jammu city for decades now.
Reasons weighing for shifting may not be contestable before government, the new change-over has, however, invited genuine comments as a remonstration from the public on the results registering as a part of history. The new choice fails in comparison to the old one on many counts. As per information the new bus stand comprises of some 57 kanals of land capable of accommodating 288 buses whereas the old one spreading over some 104 kanals of land was enough to accommodate 2280 vehicles. With the already functional SRTC Yard, Board of Inspection Office of office of the Regional Transport Office Srinagar, Fruit & Vegetable mandis, food Godowns, local residency etc, in juxtaposition with the New General Bus Stand the move appears to be neither better nor as good as the previous place and is felt to be running down from good to bad only. The new general bus stand lacks in facilities like Ticket counters, Drivers’ Room, Passengers’ Shed, Transport Office, Toilets, Wash Rooms, Drinking water, etc. It is also held that being comparatively in a low lying area with no proper, complete drainage & sewerage system, with limited passage for ingress & egress movements for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic the new destination has unfolded similar issues we tried to get rid of. The multiplicity of hawkers, roadside dealers, pedlars as a natural resultant has further effected the functioning of the stand. Moreover, the commuters after de-boarding are to re-board further vehicles and pay again to reach their ultimate points choking the roads from Qamarwari/Barthana to civil lines area etc,. The entry of northern stage carriage vehicular traffic into the stand has complicated the up and the down flow of other vehicular traffic negotiating from Batamaloo or Chattabal to pass on to HMT crossing or onwards and in turn by checkmating it twice while entering into the yard. The better alternative could have been diverting all the public transport stage carriage buses from north to move via Parimpora Bye-Pass and make entry into the yard through New Fruit Mandi Gate where vehicles coming from south terminate. Road & traffic experts opine that expansion plan for GBS. Batamaloo by recouping the land at Tatoo ground from defence authorities who, as per press reports, have been already handed over alternate land at Sharifabad Zainakote would have been a welcome step given the tri-angular access points at Tengpora-Mominabad Batamaloo crossing, Bemina Chowk-Medical College Hostel and Parimpora-Qamarwari for the districts/city traffic besides South –Eastern linkage from the civil lines area. Once keenly pursued with the defence authorities the matter appears to have silenced as vacation from the premises by defence authorities & possession by Government is unheard of till date. A change being the only permanent event does not matter the impact it leaves does.
Establishing the new general bus stand on the Budgam side of the bye pass can be considered as an alternative. Here all the stage carriages of the north and south districts could stay and operate smoothly on the bye pass sans having to criss- cross the Parimpora chowk or the Fruit Mandi via JVC-Parimpora bye pass except those of District Ganderbal which would continue the existing route to end at new general bus stand. In this way all the passengers would board, de-board and re-board from the new general bus stand Parimpora unlike at Mandi to further interior city /civilian and exterior/outer rural destinations.
Underways can be built across the bye pass road so that traffic moving back to south or south-western districts does not have to confront ingress movement into the stand with similar action for upcoming traffic of north and north-western districts to counter jamming at Parimpora junction. Steps taken in haste often go waste. Egoism, I know everything approach, political rivalism, party paranoia should not deter planning structural changes in an economy. Cool & considered decision in consultation with the expertise/stakeholders concerned with a clear road map for transparent and honest implementation is a simple formula for solution to any of the problems. Where there is a will there is a way.
[The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer working as Consultant in the A.G’s Office Srinagar.]
jalaluddin2012@gmail.com