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Dimapur, Nov. 25 (EMN): The Dimapur city bus services, including the pink buses under the Nagaland State Transport (NST) department, may have eased the plight of citizens but buses are often seen picking up and dropping passengers at random locations due to lack of designated waiting sheds along the bus route from the railway station to Chümoukedima, thus obstructing the traffic as well as posing a danger to the lives of commuters.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the general manager (GM) of NST informed that the department has made a survey for setting up of bus stops in the city but not able to implement it because of land ownership issue.
“We have also put up a proposal to the government last year but because of the high price in acquiring land along the highway, it has been stalled,” said the official.
When asked about a possible alternative to this issue, he informed that the department had put up markers and signboards for buses to stop but were found damaged to their dismay.
“Maybe we will try to put up boards again at least to have designated bus stops and let the public know that they can catch a bus from there,” he added.
The NST general manager informed that the main bus station is located at Dimapur railway station and the destination is Chümoukedima second gate, so all buses ply on National Highway-29 and they follow all SOPs while picking up and dropping passengers.
Speaking to this newspaper, a city bus driver shared that many passengers force them to make abrupt stops at random places, which is not safe as many vehicles ply on the highway.
Another official from the NST informed that a few city buses are under renovation and there is a possibility of increasing the number of buses in the commercial hub.
“Presently, we have eight buses plying which includes three pink buses,” informed the official.
It may be mentioned that in 2018, the minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Railways and Land Resources, P Paiwang Konyak, flagged off the pink bus services. He mentioned at the event that there would be 22 designated bus stops from the main station to Chümoukedima.