Capital bus stops in pathetic condition

Commuters forced to wait for conveyance in rain

ISLAMABAD: Public transport is a persistent and perennial problem in almost every major city of the country and even where there is some semblance of proper transportation like in the capital, commuters have to face hardships due to the pathetic condition of bus and van stops in the city.

Residents in the capital have expressed their concerns over the miserable condition of passengers' waiting places, demanding urgent repairs from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) responsible for facilitating the federal capital residents.



The waiting cabins constructed by the civic authority  authority a long time ago to facilitate passengers in harsh, cold and rainy weather, are in dilapidated condition and require urgent attention to make the facility practical.

Speaking to the media a commuter  Sajjad Abbasi at Aabpara stop, while appreciating the facility as a blessing in all extreme weather conditions strongly urged the authorities to address the problem on a war footing .

He pointed out the lack of cleanliness, growth of shrubs and broken benches not to mention the stench from garbage heaps made it impossible for people to wait inside.

A female passenger, requesting not to be named, said they were happy when the facility was established as they were able to wait for a van with ease while sitting. She, however, complained the space must be customised for a  portion of the area reserved for women.



Another female passenger expressed her concern that due to non-availability of electricity, they had no choice other than to wait under streetlights on the roadside at night. Zahoor Ahmed a passenger waiting for a van at T&T Stop complained that some sheds were being used by drug addicts due to dilapidated condition. When CDA's Maintenance Department, was contacted the official said that facilities fell under Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI).An official from MCI said that our sanitation teams were working on a daily basis to clean the stops, but it is also the responsibility of the public to keep the van stops clean.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2018.