A bumpy ride: The breakneck antics of Bara Road buses

Drivers known for nudging smaller vehicles and driving recklessly

PESHAWAR:

The general consensus among commuters is that buses plying on Bara Road first ram smaller vehicles out of the way before even attempting to hit the brakes or blow the horn. The Bara drivers are known for speeding and being ruthless on the road.

Decades of disorder

The service on Bara Road started carrying passengers some 80 years ago, says President Public Transport Owners’ Association Haji Khan Zaman Afridi.

“It is the oldest bus service in the entire province,” he adds.

The service is also known to be the fastest in the province as drivers do not wait more than two minutes for passengers to board at designated stops. In some cases, they do not even bother coming to a complete standstill, forcing passengers to perfect the skill of boarding a moving vehicle.



Keep your distance

As for lighter vehicles, Zaman has just one word of advice: distance. He tells them to remain as far away from the heavy vehicles as possible as drivers have little care for others on the road. Also, when such a large vehicle is driven at breakneck speed, it is difficult to slow down.

“You will hardly survive if a bus hits you,” says 41-year old Hashim Afridi, a bus driver.

Known for their recklessness, drivers pay no heed to speed-breakers or ditches. That is one of the main reasons why patients and older adults are advised against travelling on them.

“Doctors tell pregnant women to avoid riding on the Bara buses,” says 35-year-old Tahir Mohmand, another driver.

Rough ride ahead?

Although newer transport services now run on the Bara route, including vans, pickup trucks and Qingqi rickshaws, they have failed to outdo the bus service. The main reason is that it is difficult to transport such a large number of passengers on smaller vehicles. The buses also have the capacity to move goods; mostly those smuggled in from Bara. However, with the government having signed a project with the Belgians, owners of the rickety and smoky buses are feeling a little uneasy.

“This is the only source of income for around 5,000 families who feel threatened by the fresh government-favoured transport projects,” says Zaman.

Just drive

These buses, locally converted from Bedford trucks, were a major mode of transport for goods and passengers throughout the province. They would travel to Swat, Chitral and even the tribal areas, but their range dwindled with the passage of time and the Bara route is one of the few that remain.

There used to be 300 buses of which more than half were scrapped for spare parts and around 140 remain in workable condition.

“The working buses are 50-year-old, but are still running well due to regular maintenance,” says Zahid, who doubles as the driver and mechanic of his own bus.

Dressed for success

The owners’ love for their buses knows no bounds and they make sure the vehicles stand out. Those who have never caught a glimpse of such vehicles could easily mistake one for a moving wedding hall.

“Complete decoration costs between Rs0.3 and Rs0.5 million,” reveals Zaman, adding that attracting passengers is the name of the game.

Restricted movement

Since the buses are considered one of the major reasons of traffic jams, they are not allowed to come on main roads and use service roads instead. “The government has made it almost impossible for us to earn a living so most owners are trying to sell their buses,” claimed bus owner Javed Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2015.