Passenger buses, mini-buses and cabs plied on most routes in uptown Srinagar. The buses were running overcrowded.
SRI NAGAR: After observing spontaneous shutdown for 100 days against scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K State into two Union Territories, life has started limping back to normalcy in the militancy-hit Valley. For the first time since August 5, passenger buses were back on roads, leading to traffic jams in Srinagar on Wednesday. Shops and business establishments also remained open for the whole day in some areas of Kashmir.
Passenger buses, mini-buses and cabs plied on most routes in uptown Srinagar. The buses were running overcrowded.
There were traffic snarls in some areas of Srinagar and it took commuters longer than usual to reach their destinations. Many roads in city including Lal Chowk, Rajbagh and Natipora witnessed heavy rush of vehicles and the traffic policemen faced a tough time regulating the traffic in the city centre.
However, the passenger buses did no ply on routes in downtown Srinagar.
The electronic buses of J&KSRTC also plied on four different routes in Srinagar.
The inter-district cabs also plied normally in all the district routes from Srinagar.
“I had been facing a tough time from reaching Baramulla to Srinagar daily due to non-availability of public transport. Today, I boarded a cab and reached my office in the city centre on time,” said Zahoor Ahmad of Baramulla.
The return of buses and cabs on roads had an impact on the business in the Valley.
The shops in most parts of uptown Srinagar including city centre Lal Chowk remained opened throughout the day today.
A shopkeeper was shot dead by militants in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday. Police sources said militants fired three rounds from a pistol at Mehraj-ud-Din Zargar from point-blank range.
Zargar succumbed to injuries while being taken to a nearby hospital.
He had a readymade garment shop.
Police and paramilitary personnel rushed to the area and launched a search but no arrest was reported.
