Thousands unable to celebrate Eid with loved ones

While some avoided traveling home due to pandemic, others had to stay back due to lack of public transport

KARACHI: Every year, millions of people from Karachi go to other cities of the country to celebrate Eidul Fitr. Due to the pandemic, however, this year is going to be different as many people will stay in the metropolis for the occasion.

As railways and air services remained suspended by the federal government, together with the closure of the intercity bus service by the Sindh government for almost two months, many people - particularly those who moved to Karachi for employment - could not go to their hometowns during the month of Ramazan.

While the federal government restored railways and air services a few days ago, sources say that there is hardly any movement. According to a survey conducted by The Express Tribune, some people, who predominantly belong to the educated class, deliberately decided not to travel because of the fear of coronavirus.

A resident of Rawalpindi, Mohammad Ahmed, said that every year, he goes home to his city from Karachi to celebrate Eid with his family, but this time he refrained from long-distance travel for the fear of catching the virus.

“It’s not just about me. I don’t want to take the risk of putting my family in danger. I firmly believe that I can wait to celebrate Eid with my family next year but this year, I will show my love through social distancing.”

He added that he would talk to his family via video call and would stay at home to celebrate the occasion on his own.

On the other hand, those from the working class could not go back because of the lockdown imposed by the Sindh government. Many of them hired trucks and even rickshaws to travel to their hometowns. Some of them, who could afford to pay for it, also opted for rent-a-car services to go to their cities.

The owner of a rent-a-car service in Karachi, Mohammad Saleem, whose showroom is located in Liaquatabad, said that the pandemic led to a surge in the number of people availing his services.

“Since there were no other means of transportation available, a lot of people approached me and hired cars to go to different cities, including Quetta, Lahore, Faisalabad, and even Peshawar,” he said. “Normally, the fare from Karachi to Hyderabad is Rs4,000, Karachi to Mirpurkhas is Rs7,000, the fare to Lahore is Rs25,000, while those going to Islamabad by road pay about Rs32,000 to Rs40,000 to rent a car.”

Saleem added that he provides a driver and since social distancing is not possible in a car, he has made it mandatory for families to wear a mask and bring sanitisers before sitting in the car.

Meanwhile, a railway spokesperson said that train services have been restored across the country since May 20, with special attention being paid to all standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Only 60 per cent seats are being booked to prevent the trains from getting crowded,” the spokesperson said. “We have also started online so booking in six stations, including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Multan.”

Sindh Air-conditioned Bus Owners Association’s general secretary Rauf Niazi told The Express Tribune that despite a growing demand from people, the Sindh government has not yet restored the intercity bus services.

“Yesterday, the transporters had a meeting with the minister for transport and the secretary of transport in which they were informed that a summary of the restoration of intercity bus services has been sent to the chief minister of Sindh,” Niazi disclosed. “As soon as they are approved, the intercity bus services will be restored.”

Niazi said that even if the service is fully restored, transporters would not be able to provide the services as Eid is expected to fall on May 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2020.