Srinagar,
The government has issued directions making it compulsory for the passenger bus operators to follow a timetable. The authorities will also keep a check on them to avoid slow travel and frequent stopovers.

The drivers and conductors will have to wear proper uniforms, ensure reservation of seats for women commuters and stop playing music.

A series of decisions to streamline passenger bus service in the Kashmir valley were taken at a high-level meeting on Saturday. The meeting, chaired by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, was attended by the Inspector General , Regional Transport Officer , Kashmir, and representatives of transport unions.

The steps have been taken as the passenger buses operate in an almost unruly manner with frequent stopovers, lack of designated stops and overloading. The earlier efforts to streamline the public transport have failed because of lack of coordination among various departments.

The management of traffic has emerged as one of the difficult challenges for the administration as vehicles have outgrown the available infrastructure, including roads and parking spaces.

The latest meeting chaired by the Divisional Commissioner, however, directed the traffic police and Assistant RTOs to work in tandem to curb traffic violations.

The Divisional Commissioner has directed the Assistant RTOs to “strictly check and take action” if any bus plies “too slow or stops frequently”. “Every passenger bus will ply according to a timetable,” he said at the meeting.

Urging bus operators to display fares inside the buses, Baseer Khan also directed them to ensure reservation of seats for women.