E-Bus Drivers, Conductors Protest 'Harassment' By Passengers

Srinagar: Accusing the higher-ups of Srinagar Smart City Ltd (SSCL) of turning a blind over their plight, e-bus drivers and conductors today hit streets in Srinagar and threatened to suspend service on all routes, in case the ‘harassment’ meted out to them by the passengers is not immediately stopped.

Shouting slogans “LG admin wake up, want justice”, dozens of the e-bus drivers and conductors staged a protest in Srinagar against the harassment meted out to them by the passengers.

Pertinently, a video of a passenger attacking an e-bus operator in the Batamalloo area of the city went viral on social media, sparking protests by his fraternity.

“We have been facing a series of issues ever since the e-bus service was started in Srinagar. However the higherups of the SSCL despite being well aware of our problems have never been serious enough to address the same,” Gulzar

Ahmad, a protester said.

Despite our honest efforts to put travelers at ease and accomplish our jobs, the daily animosity we encounter has a detrimental effect on our lives, he added.

“We receive a paltry amount of Rs 9000 a month, and are abused by the passengers frequently. One of our colleagues was severely beaten by a passenger in Batamalloo; however the officials of SSCL did not react,” Gulzar said.

The e-bus drivers and conductors threatened to suspend the service on all routes in Srinagar, in case the harassment meted out to them by the passengers was not immediately stopped.

"We are all highly educated, but the unemployment issue has forced us to work as drivers and conductors. We cannot risk our lives and appeal to the Lieutenant Governor to take serious note of the problems we face or else we will be forced to halt services on all routes." they threatened.