The overloading in the mini busses especially (TATA-407) seems ever-lasting as the drivers continue to risk the lives of passengers here.
The passengers travelling in mini buses accused that the authorities miserably failed to curb the menace of overloading. “It is impossible to find a seat in the local mini buses, particularly in TATA 407s, which are often overloaded,” passengers told Kashmir Vision.
Witnesses said that the mini bus drivers especially in the Srinagar outskirts here continue to put the lives of passengers at risk due to the overloading.
Talking to this newspaper, Nisar Ahmad, a student said, “We are facing immense hardships due to the overload in mini buses.”
“There is no end to the overloading in the public transports. The authorities should take action in this regard. The tall claims of the authorities over crack down on Passenger service vehicles for overloading and intermittent wrong stops has proven hoax on the ground,” the passenger said.
Accusing the higher ups of Regional Transport Office (RTO) of ignoring their plights, the passengers here have demanded immediate redresssal of their genuine grievances.
Numair Mushtaq, a commuter said, “The passenger vehicle operators plying on Bemina, Natipora, and Batwara route are allegedly creating artificial shortage of minibuses to get more of rush thereby putting commuters to inconvenience.”
Pertinently, Traffic Police has said that it has cracked down on Passenger service vehicles (TATA-407) for overloading, intermittent wrong stops, board/ de-board of passengers at places other than designated bus stops, without driving licenses, passenger inconvenience, slow and delayed operations and imposed 138 challans with fine realization to the tune of Rs.47500/-, besides 15 vehicles were seized.
The officials also said that they have booked 1.1 crore violators in the State and recovered fine of Rs.2.88 crore in the first quarter of this year (2017).
“During the period 1390 vehicles were seized while as 25426 two wheeler drivers found without helmets, 2264 triple ridding and 2939 with overloading,” the officials said.
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