Encourage upgrading
One of the many sectors that is in dire need of improvement and upgrade is the public transport system in Jammu and Kashmir. The sector can be termed as one of the worse sectors that has over the years witnessed neglect, apathy and lack of investment.
Primarily, almost all the approved vehicles running in the nook and corner of the region are unfit for public use as they have not been maintained or even upgraded over the years.
What has worsened the situation is the callous attitude adopted by the government on this crucial issue. The state of affairs of the public transport system is reflected by the number of mishaps and road accidents that are taking place in the region.
Not only are the mishaps showing an increased trend with every passing day but the fatalities due to it are also increasing tremendously. Still the government fails to take some measures and officials are busy planning their next steps without any solution in sight.
Time and again the administration has announced several measures to rid us of the old and unsafe vehicles but these proposals never take off or even get the government up and going and to bring in some change.
Months back the government promised introduction of comfortable and spacious vehicles to be put in use for public but the proposals failed to take off as even the state owned SRTC also failed to procure the vehicles that were to be run on the roads in Srinagar as well as in Jammu.
The proposal to register public transport vehicles fitted with GPS system and panic buttons from April 1, 2018 never materialized as even the Center for Developing Advanced Computing under ‘Suraksha Mitra’ to track, locate and give real time data of vehicles failed to work on the project.
The new proposal would have ensured tamper proof- GPS system, name, age, address and contact number of all drivers along with photographs that would have been displayed in the vehicle which will ensure some safety and security among the passengers who have to frequently travel using the public transport.
The demand for the use of public transport is ever increasing as it is the people’s top choice as a mode of transportation as it offers flexibility and freedom to the commuters. It also helps people save money, ease traffic congestion, and even help reduce pollution levels.
To maximize efficiency and profitability of public transport service world over, the system is being modernized and upgraded using the latest technology such as GPS tracking. Monitoring the vehicles using GPS system can help improve public transportation.
Another GPS tracker feature can help improve public transportation is the live alert feature. It will help the authorities to ensure the bus and the passenger’s safety. For instance, geo-fencing automatic alert will notify if the bus deviates from its pre-assigned route. Speed alert will also help in curbing rash driving and the driver can be alerted well in time and mishaps can be averted.
However, all this can be possible if a new or an upgraded fleet of vehicles is introduced for public use and various schemes are introduced to involve the existing transporters to switch over to better and safe vehicles for the public.
KV Network
