Intercity terminals see passengers’ influx ahead of Eid

Islamabad : Intercity terminals operating in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi Sunday witnessed passengers rush as non-local citizens left for their hometowns to celebrate the Eidul Azha with their families.

The public at Peshawar Morr, Faizabad, Pirwadhai and Chungi No-26 terminals expressed disappointment over the situation and regretted that they had to wait for hours to get a bus ticket, terming it to a herculean task.

However, some government employees had left for their native areas a day before to avoid the rush and ensure they could buy a sacrificial animal.

Passengers who were facing difficulties in seat reservation due to a shortage of transport said that the public transporters were charging extra money from travellers with impunity.

Talking to this agency, Qasim Raza, moving to Hyderabad said that he was eager to reach his home to buy a sacrificial animal as Eid was just around the corner.

Awais said that he had to reserve a seat two days earlier, as he knew about the shortage of transport.

He regretted that last time he reached home just a night before Eid day due to shortage of buses and had to buy an animal in hurry.

Saddat Hussain finding out a bus for Gujranwala appeared to be angry over the idiosyncratic management of the bus services who were giving preferences to those people who came up with some references.

He said, he took a leave for Monday from his office just to avoid the rush but "I guess all the employees did the same.”

Sikandar Alam, working for a bus service at Faizabad clarified that they were serving the public on ‘first come, first serve basis.’

He, however, admitted that they were facing the shortage of vehicles due to a high influx of passengers.

Meanwhile, Hassan Khalid, a resident of Rawalpindi who came from Lahore told that he usually travelled in reputed private transport services but had to embark on a local bus due to non-availability of seats.

Sharing the worst journey of his life, Hassan said: "I sat on the bus at 6 am and reached around 2 pm.

"The bus left no major stop unattended from Lahore to Rawalpindi, he added.

The transporters, he claimed, were fleecing the public and demanding extra bucks, urging the authorities concerned to be watchful against overcharging.

The drivers, however, had their own reasons for over-charging from high petroleum prices to challans.

Mussa Khan said, "A big coach consumes diesel of Rs26,000 from Rawalpindi to Lahore.

Such events give us an opportunity to earn the profit for the entire year.”