Eid commute: Passengers wait for buses at twin city terminals

Passengers complained that getting onto a bus was a herculean task

ISLAMABAD / RAWALPINDI: With Eidul Azha due in a few days, residents of the twin cities have been thronging the intercity bus terminals in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, hoping to catch a bus back to their ancestral hometowns to celebrate the festival with their families.

While the Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) created multiple squads to curb traditional overcharging by transporters, people hoping to get a seat at the Peshawar Morr, Faizabad, Pirwadhai and Chungi No-26 terminals expressed their disappointment over the situation.

Passengers complained that they had to wait for hours to get a bus ticket, and then getting onto a bus was a herculean task.

Passengers who were facing difficulties in seat reservation due to a shortage of transport said that the public transporters were fleecing them by charging exorbitant sums of money with impunity.

Qasim Raza, who was heading to Hyderabad said that he was eager to reach home in time to buy a sacrificial animal as Eid was just around the corner.

Awais, another passenger, said that he had to reserve a seat two days earlier, as he knew about the shortage of transport. He explained that last year, he had reached home just a night before Eid day due to a shortage of buses and had to buy an animal in a hurry.

Saddat Hussain, who was looking for a bus to take him to Gujranwala, appeared to be angry over the mismanagement of the bus services who were preferring those who came up with some references.

He said that he had taken leave from his office for Monday just so that he could avoid the rush. "I guess all the employees did the same," he said pointing to the rush at the terminal.

Sikandar Alam, who works for a bus service at Faizabad, clarified that they were serving the public on a 'first come, first serve' basis.

He, however, admitted that they were facing a shortage of vehicles due to the high influx of passengers.

Meanwhile, Hassan Khalid a resident of Rawalpindi who came from Lahore said that he usually travels with reputed private transport services but has had to embark on a local bus this time due to lack of seats.

The drivers, however, had their own reasons for over-charging from high petroleum prices to police tickets for overloading.

“A big coach consumes diesel worth Rs26,000 from Rawalpindi to Lahore. Such events give us an opportunity to earn the profit for the entire year," explained bus driver Mussa Khan.

Three squads

Meanwhile, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Rawalpindi has formed three squads to check overcharging by transporters on Eidul Azha.

RTA has warned drivers of public service vehicle against overcharging public transport fares. RTA Secretary Khalid Yameen Satti said that special squads have been deployed at various locations to check overcharging and overloading to facilitate the commuters.

He elaborated that transporters have a habit of fleecing the homebound citizens by charging exorbitant rates. He assured that stern action would be taken against transporters found overcharging, as well as overloading the passengers.

RTA officials have been directed to check overcharging and overloading of passengers in buses and vans.

The checking will be carried out randomly at different places. Strict action will be taken on the spot and excess fares will be returned to the passengers. To a question, he said transporters have been directed to display fare charts on prominent places.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2018.