Rabindranath Biswas
Diglipur, Sept. 17: Commuters traveling along the Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) between Sri Vijaya Puram and Diglipur are strongly protesting against the abysmal condition of public transport. The bus service operated by the State Transport Service (STS), Andaman & Nicobar Administration, has turned into a daily ordeal for hundreds of commuters, with many describing the long-distance journey as nothing short of perilous.
According to reports, passengers travelling on the Sri Vijaya Puram–Diglipur route and back have reported that the deployment of ageing, poorly maintained buses is severely compromising commuter safety and comfort. Major grievances highlighted by daily travellers include broken or missing seat handles, causing severe discomfort and balance issues during transit. Window frames that neither slide open for ventilation nor close properly to block the elements. Water dripping directly onto passengers during heavy downpours, leaving commuters soaked throughout the long journey. Recurring engine trouble and mechanical failures mid-journey, stranding passengers in remote stretches along the ATR corridor.
“The senior officials of the STS Department should travel at least once on a bus plying between Sri Vijaya Puram and Diglipur,” remarked an aggrieved passenger stranded during a recent vehicle breakdown. “Only then will they truly comprehend the hardship and agony that passengers endure every single day.”
The operational failures of the STS fleet are further aggravated by the deplorable condition of National Highway 4 (NH-4). Potholes, unpaved stretches, and mud tracks slow down transport and turn routine mechanical issues into hours-long delays—a situation that becomes particularly critical during heavy rainfall, the passengers further said.
With no viable public transport alternative for long-distance island travel along this corridor, commuters have urged the A & N Administration to intervene immediately. Passengers are demanding the urgent deployment of new, properly serviced buses equipped with basic amenities to ensure safe, reliable, and dignified transit along the ATR.
