High fares, reduced transport play spoil sports this Eid

Rawalpindi : The fear of coronavirus on one hand has affected Eidul Fitr celebrations while the purported mismanagement by the government has added fuel to fire as public especially people wanting to travel to their hometowns to celebrate Eidul Fitr are facing hell like situation at all bus terminals.

Only 20 to 25 per cent transporters are plying their transports taking full advantage of situation and charging skyrocketing fares.

The local administration has left public in the lurch as passengers along with their families are facing worst kind of humiliation in getting a bus. Not a single official of District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) was present at any bus terminals on Saturday to check the over-charging, overloading and misbehaving of transporters. Punjab government is only issuing so-called SOPs to avoid coronavirus otherwise nothing on ground is visible.

Meanwhile, all bus terminals remain packed with private cars and taxis who are looting passengers with both hands. They are charging Rs2000 against Rs400 for Sialkot. The bus owners are also charging Rs1000 against Rs400 for Sialkot and Gujranwala.

Thousands of working people and students seeking education and earning in Islamabad city have also packed up the luggage to leave for their respective hometowns to celebrate Eid festival, but the inflated fares, overcharging and shortage of transports on all inter-city routes has spoiled their Eid plans.

The District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Mehar Ghulam Abbas said that they were imposing fines against drivers and conductors for overcharging. “We will never spare bus drivers and conductors for violating SOPs to avoid coronavirus, he warned. Passengers belonging to different walks of life said that as per routine they were facing difficulties in approaching their native towns this Eid. “We are facing hard time of history but there is no government writ all around, they bemoaned.