Punjab halts public transport to Sindh

Stranded passengers decry lack of prior notice to let them return home

LAHORE: Punjab government shut down public transport for Sindh in view of coronavirus threat.

A letter sent by the Provincial Transport Authority to the officers concerned said the ban on public transport will remain in effect till further orders.

However, passengers intending to travel from Punjab to Sindh protested against the shutting of the transport service without prior notice. Transporters began refunding the fare to the passengers who had made advance bookings.

On the other hand, some elements started booking seats for those departing from Punjab at heavy fares. Online cab services also reportedly begun offering expensive travel to Sindh.

Amid increasing cases of coronavirus, the Punjab Transport Department has taken the major decision of completely stopping transport service to Sindh from across the province. In this regard, a letter was issued to the deputy commissioners and secretaries of the regional transport authorities. The letter said all public transport to destinations in Sindh should be stopped and action will be taken against violators of the order.

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The transport department sent instructions to police stations having bus stands in their jurisdiction as well as the transporters individually.

Sources said the public transport service from Punjab was stopped at the request of the Sindh government.

The transport department sources said more than 300 buses carry about 15,000 passengers to Sindh daily from Punjab.

Meanwhile, passengers complained that they had made advance bookings but no one had informed them that the bus service was being stopped. Instead of sudden closure of service, two or three days should have been given so those who wanted to return to their homes, they said. “Now we are stuck in Punjab, which has increased our problems,” a passenger said. Altercations between transport service staff and passengers were also reported from various bus stations in the provincial capital.

Khalid, the head of a family who were going to Karachi from Lahore, told The Express Tribune that they had come to attend the wedding of a relative but the event had been canceled due to the virus threat. “We made advance booking a day ago but no one said that the service would be stopped. Now when I have arrived at the bus stop along with my wife and three children, I have been told to get the refund, which has left us in difficulty. “Now on one had coronavirus is spreading and on the other we can’t go back home.”

The stranded passengers said the authorities had stopped the bus services immediately and the people had not even been given a few hours to leave.

Some private transporters, on the other hand, started fleecing passengers travelling to Sindh from Punjab. Owners of cabs and private cars started booking seats at heavy fares. Owners of vehicles run under online taxi services allegedly shut down the connection devices and started sending them to different areas of Sindh.

Talking to The Express Tribune, All Pakistan Transport Owners Federation Chairman Azam Khan Niazi said the transporters had stopped their service from Punjab to Sindh as well as advance booking as per the government notification. Those who had booked seats were being paid refunds. Niazi said the transporters were fully cooperating with the government in the war against coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has ordered an indiscriminate crackdown against the mafia involved in the hoarding surgical masks and sanitisers so that the availability of these items can be ensured at the fixed rates.

Presiding over a meeting of cabinet committee for dealing with coronavirus on Thursday, he said jail is the best place for those who rob the people.

The chief minister announced the setting up of a Rs5 billion special fund for overcoming the coronavirus. He said Rs236 million had been released to the health department, while Rs1 billion had been allocated under the head. The government will provide more resources to secure the lives of the people, he said.

The chief minister called for arranging diagnostic kits as soon as possible. He said there should be no shortage of the kits. He said implementation of the decisions made in the provincial apex committee must be ensured and the government will continue adopting necessary steps to save the lives of the people.

He said the Punjab government wants to set up a quarantine facility in Taftan from its resources and the line departments should take steps in this regard in collaboration with the Balochistan government.

The meeting reviewed the proposal of shutting down shopping malls and restaurants at 7pm or 8pm and the chief minister said the committees concerned should review it and submit their conclusive recommendations at the earliest.

He said the role of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority is very important in the present situation and asked its director-general to review the conditions in the field. Pointing out that the chief minister, health minister and others are carrying out tours, he directed the PDMA DG to submit daily reports of district tours to the CM Office.

The chief minister emphasised that people cannot be left alone in difficult circumstances. He said that self-isolation in homes will produce positive results and people should be educated about it.

He also issued directives for early completion of tests of pilgrims returning from Iran and added that implementation of precautionary steps should be ensured in the light of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) instructions.

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The government is aware of financial problems of daily-wage workers and a committee has been constituted, which will submit its recommendations at the earliest, he said.

The meeting also reviewed a proposal to stop marriage ceremonies at homes.

The chief minister said the number of employees attending government offices had been substantially reduced.

He said the purchase process of safety dress and other material for doctors and paramedical staff should be completed at the earliest and the health department should submit a report in this regard to the cabinet committee every day.

The secretary for primary and secondary healthcare gave a briefing to the participants.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2020.