The transporters operating Jammu and Ladakh services from Srinagar on Saturday demanded authorities to allow them to resume their services and said that they will follow the guidelines in letter and spirit.
The Srinagar-Jammu-Ladakh Taxi Services Owners and Drivers Union TRC headed by Waseem Ashraf Bhat attempted to stage a protest today, which was foiled by the authorities.
Bhat said that the transporters have been facing immense hardships since they have not been allowed to resume their business.
“We have been left on God’s mercy as no one is bothering to take a decision for the well-being of transporters,” Bhat said, adding that they are not even able to pay monthly EMIs of the loans as well.
He said that the association was scheduled to stage a protest but the authorities didn’t allow them to hold the demonstration. He added that “the government should either set ablaze our vehicles and kill us or allow us to resume work to feed our families.”
Mudasir Ahmad, member of the association said that it is unfortunate that the SRTC buses have been allowed to resume their activities while only private transporters have been left to lurch.
He said SRTC buses have been ferrying passengers from Atari and that too without any social distancing. “One fails to understand why only private transporters are being pushed to the wall. We are ready to follow the guidelines in letter and spirit but we should at least be allowed to resume our business,” he added.
Ahmad further stated that anyone among the transporters who will be found violating the norms should be dealt with strictly.
The association appealed the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and other higher ups to look into the matter at an earliest—
Pertinently Kashmir has been under a severe lockdown since August, following the abrogation of special status of Jammu Kashmir, the drivers, thousands in numbers have been one of the worst-hit working class. (KNO)