Srinagar, April 21 -- Normal life was affected in Kashmir on Monday owing to a "chakka-jam" protest by private transporters against the planned expansion of government-run smart buses in various districts of the Valley. As per proters, public transport run by private operators was also off the roads in various parts of the Valley in response to the strike call. Commuters reported facing hardship due to the non-availability of the transport. However, autos, e-rickshaws, and government-run smart buses were still running. Smart electric busesequipped with ACs and cameras were introduced in Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar in 2023 have made the commute of citizens fast and affordable. He said that the smart buses were introduced in Srinagar city and expanding the fleet to rural areas or towns was against the guidelines. "The expansion of the smart bus fleet will give a big blow to the public transport sector in Kashmir valley. Over a lakh people will face an impact on their employment," said Abdul Hameed, a transporter representative. htc...