Irfan A Mir
Srinagar, Mar 15 (KNS): Hundreds of Kashmiris who have been stuck in Jammu due to closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway on Sunday alleged over-charging by cab drivers. They appealed administration to bring cab drivers into justice and ensure SRTC bus service especially for students for their return to Kashmir.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), several stranded passengers in Jammu have alleged cab drivers of looting Kashmir based passengers who have come from several parts of country and abroad to reach safer places amid Corona Virus threat that consumed thousands of lives across the globe.
Adil Bashir, a student studying in Banglore told KNS that he reached two days ago to Jammu but due to closure of 270-km long Srinagar-Jammu highway, he along with other buddies could not move ahead due to loot of drivers.
He said ironically the cab drivers who are ferrying passengers over the highway are resortig to extra charges and thus looting needy people in broad day light.
"Cab drivers are taking undue advantage of the situation and asking for 3000/- rupees per passenger which is out of budget for several people as their pockets have already gone empty", Adil said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
"I'm stranded here from last five days. My pocket as well as ATM goes out of cash last night. I have borrowed some thousand rupees from a friend in Jammu who is a government employee. Now I want to reach Srinagar somehow but cab driver have fixed high rates these days. Here are many who are unable to understand what to do?", Majid Kawoosa, a software engineer told KNS.
Stranded passengers have appealed administration to rein such cab drivers who have fixed arbitrary rates. They also appealed government to run special buses of SRTC for stranded passengers especially for students.
Notably, amid COVID-19 spread across the globe, several countries have issued advisories to its people from refraining from indulging in any congregational gatherings after which schools, colleges and universities suspended its operation till further orders and as such Kashmir based students studying across the globe have started to return Kashmir. (KNS)