Avtar Bhat
SAMBA, Sept 24: Constructed over a decade back, the New Bus Stand, Samba is totally defunct as authorities at the helm of affairs have failed to utilize it for halting of Inter-State and local buses with the result the traffic congestion and rate of accidents in Samba market is becoming alarming day by day.
The Bus Stand presently wears a deserted look and the building constructed for booking of passengers has become a den of ghosts as no passenger buses enter there for lifting or deporting of the passengers.
According to sources after the construction of the New Bus Stand at Samba in 2008, some Inter -State and local buses were shifted there for haltage, leaving and picking of passengers but this practice remained in force for some days only and later was abandoned as the same did not suit to bus operators.
Sources said that New Bus Stand Samba was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 54 lakh by the authorities with the intention of shifting the existing Bus Stand from the Main Samba Chowk to its new site for decongestion of traffic in the market so that it is relieved of routine traffic jams and accidents which often take place due to traffic congestion on the Highway due to halting of buses in the Chowk.
As all Inter -State as well as local buses plying on NH via Samba used to halt at the Main Chowk Samba for picking up and alighting of the passengers resulting in traffic jams as well as accidents.
Sources said there is also a public resentment against the authorities for their failure in shifting the Bus Stand to new site which is 500 meters away from Samba market. The people asked when the authorities didn’t have to shift the Bus Stand to its new site what was the fun of spending such a huge money of public exchequer on it. “This way this entire money got waste and no body has been held accountable for the same,” sources added.
The Bus Stand has been provided with a building with booking counters and other facilities but they too wore a deserted look now and turned into a den of ghosts.
The people demand officers responsible for the same be held accountable and taken to task as to why after spending such a huge amount on the construction of Bus Stand it was not utilized for halting of buses over the years. Presently the Bus Stand has been converted to a cricket ground by the children.
People said that often road accidents take place in Samba Chowk due to congestion and heavy rush of traffic and several people have lost their lives in the accidents at Samba Chowk but the authorities have failed to take cognizance of the same as no one at the helm of affairs is bothered to make the New Bus Stand functional. People while smelling a rat said that the authorities for their vested interests are not taking pains in shifting the Bus Stand to new place.
When contacted Ajay Sharma, Chief Executive Officer , Samba Municipality said there is a technical fault in shifting the buses to New Stand. He said the buses coming from Kathua side have to take a sharp cut while entering to New Bus Stand after the four-lanning of National Highway which can prove dangerous due to rash driving on Highway.
Earlier, it was only two lane Highway when the Bus Stand was constructed but the problem surfaced after four-lanning of NH.
Pawan Kohli, Chairman, Samba Municipal Committee, however, said that the hawkers in the Samba market were also to be shifted to New Bus Stand and for this purpose shops were to be constructed. But this has been delayed which was one of the reasons for not making the New Bus Stand functional.
He said the DPR for the construction of small shops for hawkers in the New Bus Stand has been framed now and proposal was also submitted in this regard but the tenders could not be called due to non -functioning of Internet Services and as soon as the Internet opens the tendering process will begin, he added.
He admitted that traffic congestion in Samba Market will reduce to a great extent after the New Bus Stand is made operational fully and accident rate will also decrease. He said after the shops are constructed for hawkers in New Bus Stand it will be made operational.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
