‘Non-stop’ Uri-Sgr bus service draws flak over delays, multiple halts

Idrees Bukhtiyar
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30 Jan 2026

Srinagar, Jan 30: Much hyped non-stop bus service operating between Uri-Srinagar and vice versa has come under criticism from commuters, who allege that the service is far from non-stop and is causing daily inconvenience, especially to patients and students. Passengers travelling on the route said that despite being advertised as a non-stop service, the bus makes multiple unscheduled stops along the way and even halts for nearly 40 minutes at the Baramulla Bus Stand before proceeding towards Uri. The prolonged stoppage, commuters said, defeats the very purpose of introducing a non-stop service. “This bus is supposed to be non-stop, but it picks up passengers from almost every spot,” said a daily commuter from Uri. “At Baramulla Bus Stand alone, it stops for around 40 minutes. By the time we reach Uri or Srinagar, we are already very late.” According to commuters, the bus departs from Uri at around 7:00 am and leaves Srinagar for Uri at 3:30 pm. However, due to frequent halts and delays, passengers often fail to reach their destinations on time. “For students and patients, timing is very important,” said another passenger travelling from Boniyar. “Many students miss their classes and patients miss hospital appointments because of these unnecessary stops.” Several commuters questioned the authenticity of calling the service “non-stop” when it operates like a regular bus service. “If the bus is going to stop everywhere and wait at bus stands for such long durations, then why label it as non-stop?” a passenger asked. Aggrieved commuters have appealed to the Presidents of the Western Bus Service, Srinagar and Baramulla, and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir to intervene and ensure that the service operates as per its original schedule. “We urge the authorities to look into the matter at the earliest,” a delegation of commuters from Uri said. “Either run it as a proper non-stop service or clearly inform passengers about the actual nature of the service so that people are not misled.”