Ambulances, school buses exempted from convoy restrictions after public outcry

Srinagar: After massive public outcry, government forces said on Friday that ambulances and school buses will not be stopped during the movement of their convoys.

The killing of 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 in a fidayeen attack on a convoy had prompted the government to announce that all civilian vehicles would have to halt when forces’ convoys pass by.

The decision caused inconvenience to patients being ferried to hospitals in ambulances and thousands of schoolchildren who were arriving late for classes.

Defence spokesman in Srinagar colonel Rajesh Kalia said, “During the convoy movement priority will be given to school buses, ambulances and essential services’ vehicles. It will be ensured that no inconvenience is caused to students and patients.”

Inspector general of CRPF Ravideep Singh Sahi said that forces have framed a “people-friendly” convoy-movement plan.

“No question of stopping ambulances or school buses because it is a humanitarian issue,” he said.

Incidents depicting inconvenience caused to students and patients due to convoy restrictions were debated on social media. A picture showing a man carrying a patient in arms while a convoy passed by was widely shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Aijaz Ahmed, who works in a private office at Rajbagh area of Srinagar, said that at 8am on Thursday, CRPF men halted every kind of traffic movement to ensure smooth flow of their convoy that was coming from The Boulevard road and moving towards Rajbagh area.

“School buses were also stopped by the CRPF men at Radio Kashmir crossing, while as private vehicles were stopped at Dalgate, Residency Road and Ram Munshibagh,” he said.

“The traffic was halted for at least 15 minutes till the last vehicle of CRPF crossed the Zero Bridge. The long wait irritated many commuters who protested by blowing their horns continuously,” he said.