No buses for AJK bound passengers

With RTA office shut, transporters fleece travellers

RAWALPINDI: While it is habitual of transporters to increase fares on Eid, the worst-hit people are those trying to go to their hometowns in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) authorities have yet to lift the ban on public transport which they had imposed as part of lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the valley.

With no bus or wagons available, passengers intending to travel to different cities of AJK to celebrate Eid had to rent saloon cars and minivans.

Fleet operators and individual vehicle owners have increased fares from Rawalpindi to Hajira, Rawlakot, and Abbaspur from Rs3,500 to Rs10,000. Furthermore, they are charging Rs6,000 for travel to Muzaffarabad and Mirpur instead of a normal fare of Rs4,000.

However, Rawalpindi transporters have also increased bus fares for all other destinations. This year transporters are lucky because the office of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) was shut due to lockdown and there was no one to check them.

All bus services have arbitrarily increased fares for all destinations. Air-conditioned luxury buses earlier charging Rs1,200 for Rawalpindi to Lahore were now hauling passengers for RS1,700. Similarly, bus services for Peshawar, Bannu, Kark, Kohat have increased their fares from Rs1,200 to Rs1,500.

Due to the closure of offices of traffic police and secretary RTA transporters got the liberty to violate a law. The Secretary Regional Transport had announced a reduction in fares and strict implementation of the SOP, but as soon as the transport service started, Secretary RTA went on Eid holidays. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2020.