Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: Though the unrest is showing signs of ebbing, scores of labourers, transporters and small-time traders have temporarily switched over to other forms of business to make their ends meet and that include street-vending.
The Valley’s transport sector has been particularly dented hard by the ongoing unrest as the uncertainty has crippled the vehicular movement across the region. There are nearly 1.15 lakh vehicles and 35,000 maxi-cabs including passenger carriers, mini-buses in Kashmir. Besides, there are 14,500 auto rickshaws of which 12,000 are in Srinagar district alone, around 7,000 big buses and around 50,000 other vehicles including tippers.
Bashir Ahmad, who drives a public passenger vehicle, sells vegetables in a pickup truck at different locations in Srinagar. The selling of vegetables is his new mode of livelihood. The situation forced him to change the line of business owing to the continuous shutdown and growing financial crisis at home.
“Situation has eased a bit but even then it’s difficult to take my vehicle out as traffic continues to be off-roads. I sell vegetables to feed my family. Once normalcy will return I will go back to my driving,” he said.
When asked why he can’t run his truck during shutdown relaxation hours, he said: “It’s very difficult to operate in relaxation as lots of people are on the roads. Anyone can come and attack us. People see us with suspicion.”
There are many others who from well-established traders have become vendors to sell items on roads sides. Manzoor Ahmad, who owns a dry fruits shop on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in south Kashmir, now sells fruits and cigarettes outside his shop.
“I have been selling fruits, cigarettes, soft drinks and chips from two months now. My dry fruit business directly dependents on the tourist inflow but we have not received any tourist this season owing to the ongoing unrest”, he said.
As public transport continues to be off the roads some of the private vehicle owners can been seen ferrying passengers on roads. Many private vehicles have been virtually turned into taxis to earn money to feed their families. Everyday scores of vehicles can be seen ferrying passengers on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway which runs through the hostile South Kashmir.
However, some commuters alleged that private vehicles charge more money as compared to the fixed fare to travel in public transport for same distance.
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