Gorchuk-Bharalu commuters bearing the brunt of trekker ban

Ban on old trekkers

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 29: The ban on plying of city buses older than 15 years and diesel taxies (trekkers) older than ten years by the Regiol Transport Authority (RTA) recently has affected the commuters in the Gorchuk-Bharalu route via Dhirenpara the worst. The commuters of the road are having a harrowing time to come and go from Bharalumukh where they have to go often during the day.

The commuters of the route are seemed to be treated as underprivileged ones as no private city buses run on the road. Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) buses do ply on the road, but the service is a skeleton one. The number of ASTC buses plying on the road is far from being enough when considered with the number of commuters from the area. Over the years the paucity of ASTC buses plying on the road was not felt as a large number of diesel taxies (trekkers) were doing the job of city buses. However, with the ban on older trekkers the road is almost bereft of passenger carrying vehicles with only two or three trekkers being seen on the road. Now the pressure on the ASTC buses is beyond control.  Tempos also do not ply on the road as they do not have MVI permits. The affected people of the area say that the government should have banned all trekkers older than ten years only after placement of new ASTC buses on the road. Now the people are facing a harrowing time, and for this trouble the people of the area blame none other than the government.