Normal life and traffic movement were partially disrupted across parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar, on Monday as transporters observed a strike against the proposed expansion of Smart City bus services to district routes.
Several areas witnessed thin traffic on roads that otherwise remain congested throughout the day. Major routes in Srinagar saw minimal activity as transporters kept their vehicles off the roads in response to the “Chakka Jam” call.
The strike caused widespread inconvenience to commuters, with students among the worst affected.
Many struggled to reach their destinations, while several candidates scheduled to appear in examinations at Kashmir University faced difficulties. Authorities later announced that a special examination would be conducted for those affected.
The protest was called by transporters opposing the government’s plan to expand Smart City bus services to districts. They argue that the move would severely impact their livelihood.
Transporters maintain that extending Smart City bus services to district routes, beyond the city centre, would directly affect their daily earnings and threaten their economic survival.
“Our bread and butter is at stake,” a protesting transporter said, adding that the expansion could push many out of business. A protest was also held by the transporters in Srinagar.
Transporters’ leader Shabir Matta criticised the government’s response, saying its inaction had led to public inconvenience.
“We had called for a shutdown on Saturday, but no one from the government contacted us or even tried to listen to our concerns,” he said, adding that lakhs of people depend on the transport sector for their livelihood.
Matta said that J&K government was planning to introduce more ‘Smart buses’ in J&K.
