13: Episode 13 | Normalcy impossible without public transportation resuming, say Mansoor Peer and Javid Ahmad as buses continue to remain off the roads

Voices from the Lockdown

Episode 13
79th day of communication blockade since August 5, postpaid mobile services restored, internet and prepaid mobile services still down.

It has been more than two months since August 5. It has been a week since Postpaid services were restored in Kashmir. But Kashmir is yet to see a day in these 79 days which signals that the valley is returning to normalcy. One of the biggest reasons for this not happening is because public transportation remains completely off the roads. People from the border villages are cut off as even the few cabs which operate do not ferry people from across. We’ve seen incidents of violence against truckers last week, when they tried to resume operations in the Valley. The apprehensions that they now feel are felt by those across the spectrum including bus owners and operators. Unavailability of buses also affects access to healthcare.

In todays episode, we will speak to Javid Ahmad and Mansoor Peer to understand how the lack of public transportation is affecting life in the Valley. Included are interviews with bus operators.