DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Jul 04: Andaman Sheekha has been constantly raising the issue of non-availability of vessels in Diglipur sector, which causes a lot of problems to the local residents specially the patients and the senior citizens.
Even after highlighting this issue in many occasions, there are only three weekly ships for Diglipur causing a lot of problems to the local residents, tourists and other commuters. Further the number of busses plying in Port Bair-Diglipur sector is also less than the demand. According to the sources, there are eight new busses planned for the said sector but still the problem will persist.
It was also reported that all the STS busses plying from Port Blair-Diglipur and back always remain packed and many of the passengers in emergency also procure waiting tickets to travel and suffers a lot during the long journey.
The problems of shortage of busses in the said route can be solved by making the busses daily by providing up and down service on the same day. The same day up and down services of the STS busses can be started by availing the first convey of the day at 05.00 AM from Kadamtala while travelling from Diglipur and from Port Blair the bus can avail the last convey from Jirgatang at 2:30 Pm.
Making the STS busses ply the same day up and down will also fulfill the long pending demand of evening shift of direct STS bus from Port Blair to Diglipur and will also facilitate the passengers of Diglipur traveling through flight from mainland India to Port Blair to reach home as all the flights at Veer Savarkar International Airport only lands after 7:00 AM. It will also make the travel easier for the old aged and will help people in emergency as during emergency people pay up to Rs.8000 for hiring four wheelers to travel to Diglipur.
It has been a long pending demand of General Public of Diglipur and several communications were also conveyed previously by PRIs for daily up and down services of STS Bus from Diglipur to Port Blair. In Rangat the STS Bus provides daily up and down services and the general public are availing full benefit.
The matter also has been discussed in the recent meeting with all the PRIs of Diglipur Sub-Division and it have been recommended by all of them. Therefore the Department of Transport should at least start one daily up and down direct bus service from Diglipur on trial basis and later the system may be extended as required.
