Public transport woes
In response to the slightest disruption, public transport takes the first hit leaving dependent commuters stranded.
Women cursed as they inadvertently poked each others’ flesh while making way for a new passenger. The new middle-aged commuter was equally vocal about her frustrations as her feet forced their way on the footboard. With half her body suspended in air, she was finally heading home after an hour long wait.
This is a scene you witness almost every other day if you belong to the 99% of Pakistani nation.
Cars and motorcycles pass by commuters quickly, while they wait for the multi-coloured buses to appear on the horizon. Each soul at the bus stop hopes the approaching bus sports the route number they’ve been waiting for, but ultimately most end up disappointed to see it already overloaded beyond its capacity. Commuters spend minutes and even hours at times before they finally board a bus – time that no employer will ever compensate for.
But their misery does not end there. Jolts because of sudden brakes and poor roads leave passengers, already glued to each other in the narrow aisle, slamming into one another. It may not sound like a big deal, but going through the ordeal everyday leaves every muscle in your body in constant pain.
The woes don’t end there. Be it a CNG or transport strike or a strike in protest, mourning or for some other political reason, public buses are the first to shut down, leaving commuters stranded.
As the country spirals downwards, no one pays a bigger price than its poor citizens. It’s much easier being stuck in traffic jams or in CNG station queues while travelling in one’s cars. It’s much more difficult in comparison to be stranded at bus stops, travel on rooftops and still walk a long way from the stop to your home.
This is a scene you witness almost every other day if you belong to the 99% of Pakistani nation.
Cars and motorcycles pass by commuters quickly, while they wait for the multi-coloured buses to appear on the horizon. Each soul at the bus stop hopes the approaching bus sports the route number they’ve been waiting for, but ultimately most end up disappointed to see it already overloaded beyond its capacity. Commuters spend minutes and even hours at times before they finally board a bus – time that no employer will ever compensate for.
But their misery does not end there. Jolts because of sudden brakes and poor roads leave passengers, already glued to each other in the narrow aisle, slamming into one another. It may not sound like a big deal, but going through the ordeal everyday leaves every muscle in your body in constant pain.
The woes don’t end there. Be it a CNG or transport strike or a strike in protest, mourning or for some other political reason, public buses are the first to shut down, leaving commuters stranded.
As the country spirals downwards, no one pays a bigger price than its poor citizens. It’s much easier being stuck in traffic jams or in CNG station queues while travelling in one’s cars. It’s much more difficult in comparison to be stranded at bus stops, travel on rooftops and still walk a long way from the stop to your home.