Transporters in Jammu staged a demonstration against the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir administration for what they termed illegally operating e-buses in the city and thereby badly affecting their livelihood.
According to Kashmir Media Service, led by All Jammu and Transporter Welfare Association, scores of private transporters assembled in Warehouse of Jammu city to express their discontent over the IIOJK administration’s unilateral decision to allow e-buses on long routes in haste without prior consultation. They raised slogans against what they called illegal move by the authorities.
Vijay Singh Chib, President of the association, said that the administration and transporters had done an agreement to run e-buses on uncovered and less congested routes, but the authorities unilaterally violated the agreement and started operations of e-buses in all busy routes, causing hardships to private transporters.
He said they have purchased their vehicles through loans, but as their livelihood gets affected, they won’t be able to pay the monthly installments. He said earlier during introducing e-rickshaws, the government failed to address the issue of Auto owners, which rendered them unemployed.
The protesters lamented the disregard for their association’s inputs during three months of dialogue with the admininstartio, highlighting a lack of serious consideration for their suggestions. They said, “This issue has severely affected our livelihood, and we are hardly earning bread and butter for our families”.—KMS
