Completion of traffic-route demanded

Rawalpindi

The commuters have demanded of the concerned authorities to take notice of violations of the traffic rules by the wagon drivers who not only prefer short distance passengers but also avoid completing their designated routes between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

"The wagon drivers mostly lift passengers only up to a particular destination instead of completing their routes. When the passengers get into the wagons from the stops anywhere in Rawalpindi the conductors ask them they will go up to Faizabad only and will not go further," said Shaheen Iqbal, a commuter.

He said when the wagon drivers reach Faizabad they offload all passengers and then start waiting for new ones, which means they get extra fares by dividing one route into two sub-routes. 

Arshad Raheem, another commuter, said travelling between the twin cities has become more difficult and expensive because the passengers pay double fare--first from their relevant bus stop to Faizabad then from Faizabad to their respective destination in Islamabad.

Female passenger Farhat Abbasi also said that the conductors only give seats to passengers who would drop off at Faizabad and after that they again load the passengers from Faizabad to different stops of Islamabad. She said with this practice the private vehicles earn double the amount while the passengers, mostly office going, have to pay double the fare.