Chaos at Jammu Bus Stand

.The General Bus Stand in the winter capital is yet again witnessing a chaotic scene with hassled stranded passengers from various parts of the valley, Doda and Poonch districts hanging around for a clue about the opening of National Highway.

The distraught lot, already suffering on account of vagaries of weather, rues lack of facilities at General Bus Stand where they’re stuck up for a couple of days following the closure of National Highway.

The Jammu Srinagar National Highway is closed for the last three days due to continuous rains and heavy snowfall. As a consequence, the entire General Bus Stand is full of stranded passengers. However the basic facilities, as usual, are elusive, notwithstanding the claims of the government vis-à-vis adequate boarding and lodging arrangements besides food facility for the stranded lot.

“We’ve been stranded here for the last three days but no one from the government has bothered to know about our miserable condition. Many children and old passengers have fallen ill due to severe cold and unhygienic conditions. But, there is no arrangement made by the government to provide us treatment, especially for the children and the old and infirm lot,” complained Mohammed Sadiq from Doda, who is there with his family of six.

Meanwhile, Fayaz Ahmed, a resident of Srinagar, says, “Among the stranded passengers, most of the passengers are poor and unable to bear the expensive rents being charged by the hotels and lodges. It is the duty of the administration to provide at least food and shelter to the poor passengers who are running short of money. The government should provide us free of cost air facility to take us to our desired destinations.”

Talking to JK News another passenger hailing from Valley, Mohammed Mushtaq Dar says, “Every year thousands of passengers get stranded at Bus Stand at Jammu following the closure of National Highway due to heavy snowfall. This is an annual phenomenon but the government fails to provide any facilities to these stranded passengers. It is duty of the government to construct a hall especially for the stranded passengers so that they can save protect from such frosty nights.”

Few days ago, the stranded passengers at General Bus Stand had held a protest demonstration against the administration for its failure to provide facilities to passengers.