Imphal, August 23: Inter-state bus services on the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati National Highway (NH-2) continued to operate smoothly for the second consecutive day, with no unpleasant incidents reported.
A senior official from the Manipur Transport Department stated that over 200 passengers traveled from Imphal, passing through the hill district of Kangpokpi, predominantly inhabited by the Kuki community, and Senapati, a district with a Naga population, without facing any issues.
These vehicles departed from the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) located at Khuman Lampak in Imphal on Saturday morning.
In a related development, 125 passengers who traveled on Friday safely reached Guwahati on Saturday, marking a successful start to the restoration of inter-state passenger transport services.
The resumption of transport services on the troubled NH-2 follows a joint announcement by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, and local MLA Haokholet Kipgen to reopen national highways for the seamless movement of people from all communities. This announcement came after the resumption of the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati bus service on August 8 in Kangpokpi district.
The Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37) and the Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati National Highway (NH-2) are two vital lifelines for Manipur, connecting the state to the rest of the country.
Since ethnic violence erupted on May 3, 2023, transportation on NH-2 has been severely disrupted due to law and order issues and repeated blockades, affecting the movement of people and essential goods between Manipur and other northeastern states.
Meanwhile, as a significant step towards restoring normal connectivity in the violence-affected state, inter-state passenger bus services between Manipur, Assam, and Nagaland resumed on Friday after a gap of over three years.
These inter-state passenger bus services had been suspended since ethnic violence broke out between the Meitei and Kuki tribal communities in Manipur on May 3, 2023.
An official from the transport department noted that under the state government’s ongoing efforts to restore peace and normalcy, public transport services on the Imphal-Dimapur (Nagaland)-Guwahati (Assam) route were resumed on Friday.
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