Jammu, Jul 20: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) Jammu region chapter and Hotel and Restaurant Association Katra (HRAK) have demanded immediate direct bus service from Jammu to Kakryal.
Chairman PHDCCI Jammu region and president HRAK Rakesh Wazir, in a joint meeting held here in Jammu on Sunday, raised this demand stating that in its (direct bus service’s) absence, daily commuters were forced to switch two to three vehicles to reach Narayana Hospital and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU).
Wazir, while speaking on the occasion, said that while the government continued to promote slogans like “Healthcare for all” and “Education at every doorstep”, the ground reality depicted a different story.
“Just 45 kilometers away from Jammu, Kakryal, home to two of the region’s most important institutions i.e., Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super Speciality Hospital and SMVD University are still not connected to Jammu by any direct public bus service and as a result commuters, including poor patients and university students, are compelled to change at least two to three different vehicles daily to reach their destination – a situation that has remained unchanged for years,” he pointed out.
Shyam Lal Kesar, chairman HRAK, while speaking on the occasion, said that every day, hundreds of patients, many of them from underprivileged backgrounds using the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, travelled to Narayana Hospital for treatment.
“Ironically, their struggle begins not at the hospital gate, but on the road to it. First, they take a local bus or matador from Jammu to Domel, followed by a mini-bus towards Katra, and then finally another mini-bus to Kakryal. This inconvenient and tiring journey becomes even more painful when a patient is elderly, disabled, or in critical condition,” Kesar said.
He said, “Currently, this entire route is operated by only 3–4 minibuses, with irregular timing and excessive crowding. Many patients are forced to stand throughout the journey.”
He questioned, “Can a heart patient stand through three bumpy mini-bus rides just to reach the hospital?
Kesar pointed out that the students studying at SMVD University were also facing severe transport challenges. Those coming from Jammu, Samba, and Kathua had no choice but to take multiple connecting vehicles every day.
“Students report that this exhausting commute saps their energy before classes even begin, and ultimately hampers their academic performance. Even university staff and faculty are not spared from this logistical hardship,” he said.
Virender Kesar, senior vice president HRAK, while addressing the meeting, suggested that keeping in view the difficulties of people an immediate launch of a dedicated daily bus service from Jammu to Kakryal with routes like Ambphalla, Panjtirthi, Sidhra Bypass, Domel and Kakryal (SMVDU and Narayana Hospital) with departure at 7.30 am and 3.30 pm and return from Kakryal to Jammu at 9.15 am and 5.30 pm respectively be started and likewise direct bus service from Katra to Kakryal too should be started.
The meeting among others was attended by Ajay Kotwal, Vivek Sharma, Sudershan Sharma and Ramneek Nawada.
