Metro buses hit by flooding, poor maintenance

RAWALPINDI:

The heavy rain has badly affected the condition of the metro buses running between the twin cities with public buses becoming swamped by water leaks, causing damage to its interior and troubling passengers.

Passengers reported that during the thunderstorm, water began pouring inside the buses from the windows and other parts. One such sight was captured by a passenger in a metro bus going from Rawalpindi to Islamabad on his mobile phone camera. In the video, the bus can be seen full of passengers and rainwater can be seen continuously falling inside the bus from one side. Passengers appear panicked as they try to save themselves from the water. The situation was worse because of lack of routine maintenance and repairs of the buses.

Others also reported that incidents of rainwater falling from the elevated track of the metro bus service onto the lower road were common in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the staff of the metro bus service has also remained completely silent on the situation. Passengers have also complained that the metro bus fares were increased recently, while there are fewer buses, which leads to congestion and overuse of the buses. This in turn damages the buses and results in their poor condition.