Boarding Chaos |
It has been some months since the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government launched a free bus service for women, and in my opinion, the flaws of this initiative have become glaringly obvious. Whether it be the smart city e-buses or the J&K Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses, what used to be their regular passengers are choosing to commute via other alternatives because of the perpetual chaos on these buses.
The initiative to set up free bus service for women was done with the intention of encouraging more working women and young women in college to commute via these buses, so that they are encouraged to travel more and do so comfortably. “We hope that they (women) will be able to travel all over Jammu and Kashmir in a safe environment,” the Chief Minister had said back in April of this year. When you put it like that, the initiative sounds spectacular, right? But over the last few months, the environment has become anything but comfortable.
A very obvious drawback of the free fare for women initiative has been overcrowding. Naturally, because of the free fare, the number of passengers has increased, and this has pushed buses beyond their capacity for passengers, which has more often than not resulted in people standing instead of sitting. You........