RTA silent as passengers fleeced

RTA’s claims to stop overcharging, overloading have been ineffective

RAWALPINDI: Ahead of Eidul Azha, the arbitrary increase in inter-city transport fares is troubling the citizens while the Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) have turned a blind eye towards the situation. The RTA’s claims to stop overcharging and overloading have been ineffective and people are compelled to travel on roofs of buses in order to reach their home towns. Owing to high fares and overloading, quarrels between passengers and transporters have become an everyday routine while it has also been witnessed that protesting passengers are disembarking from buses. The fares to cities including Lahore, Multan, Khanewal, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal etc from Rawalpindi have escalated up to Rs200 while passengers are also paying equivalent fares for their luggage. Inter-city buses have also been deployed at Pirwadhai, Faizabad and Peshawar Mor bus stands for long routes owing to which the citizens are facing extreme difficulties.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2019.