Even as Muzaffarnagar bypass, which has heavy traffic pressure ever since violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar, bears normal sight, the drivers on duty at the buses of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) and Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) defined a gloomy picture on the road. They are upset as the buses are running short of passengers.
Driver Narendra Singh, who arrived at ISBT from Delhi in the noon, said that scene at the bypass was normal. But tension in the air could be realized. “It is tough to find passengers. After entering the district, we take safe route in order to avoid the trouble,” Singh said.
He said that the scene is gloomy there. He said that passing through the tensed district left him upset. “An unknown fear prevails in mind when we pass through Muzaffarnagar bypass,” the driver said, passengers didn't feel safe while passing through the area.
Kunwarpal Singh, driver of UTC bus, depicted even a gloomier picture on the road. "As I left Meerut, I saw a group of people on the road. They were looking tensed. line of anger was clearly visible on their faces. They didn't ask anything from us. Seeing the group, the passengers were terrified," the driver said.
He said that they were not getting the passengers. Inflow of the passengers at Delhi and ISBT here has gone down. The violence also affected the business. He said that the people from the villages were not going out ever since the problem began.
Sarvesh had his take. “The rumours have caused panic among the villagers in the area. Instead of going out, they prefer remaining confined to their homes,” he remarked, saying that nobody would like to go out in such a situation. He said that under such situation rumours travel very fast. locals should avoid giving ear to them.