Bus terminals overcrowded

Transporters, passengers flout SOPs on social distancing, gloves and face masks

RAWALPINDI: Bus stands of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were crowded with the people on Wednesday as residents returned after spending the Eidul Fitr holidays with their loved ones in their hometowns.

To carry as many passengers in a single go, transporters largely flouted the social distancing protocols of seating passengers with a gap of a seat between them.

Passengers, on their part, did not care about wearing gloves or face masks, it was observed during a survey of various bus terminals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

After charging a higher than approved fare on Eid, transporters charged exorbitant sums from passengers hoping to return to the twin cities in time to resume their jobs from Thursday (today).

Officials of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) were also invisible to keep a check on transporters. The RTA chairman is on leave until Thursday (today), while his staff imposed fine on only a few transporters while none of the district officials bothered to visit any of the stands in the twin cities.

Moreover, operators of most of the bus terminal made no arrangements for drinking water for passengers who arrived after hours-long journeys in the sweltering heat. They were compelled to purchase mineral water bottles from the stalls. Provision of water is mandatory for bus terminal operators.

The SOPs of social distancing, wearing a face mask, and passing through sanitizing gates were largely ignored. Furthermore, transporters did not follow the directive of barring people from boarding buses who were running a fever.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2020.