Stranded: Public transport comes to standstill across K-P

People in the city wait for hours at bus stands for coaches.

PESHAWAR: The usually clogged streets of the provincial capital looked deserted as all activity was diverted towards local government polls. In fact, businesses and public transport came to a grinding halt across most of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Even though the citizens of Peshawar were excited about the polls, the fact that commuting was a major problem made many people quite unhappy. Those travelling to other cities also faced hardships as nary a public vehicle could be seen on the roads.

“It’s been an hour and a half since I’ve been waiting to catch a coach but none arrived as public transport is non-existent because of LG elections,” Muhammad Imtiaz, told The Express Tribune at Mardan Bus Stand. “I’m waiting because I have to go see my father who is sick and admitted at Hayatabad Medical Complex.”

Imtiaz added his father had been unwell since five days so he was not interested in voting. His three brothers also did not care much for the polls as they—unlike him—were looking after their father at HMC.

A majority of mini vans had been booked by political parties to take their supporters from one polling station to another, preventing locals from carrying on with their routine activities.

A day of joblessness

Labourers could be seen lining the roads of the city, sitting with their unused tools. Most were unable to find daily jobs or tasks which is their usual means of earning an income.

Businesses were closed in most of the districts’ main cities, including, Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Buner, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Swat.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.