Transporters fleecing passengers ahead of Eid

Rawalpindi:The transporters were looting passengers by charging double fare in the guise of implementation of Standard Operative Procedure (SOPs). The transporters were loading over 100 per cent passengers in a bus and wagon and charging double fares from people going to their native towns to celebrate Eid ul Azha on Wednesday.

People living in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad were leaving for their native towns to celebrate Eid ul Azha and the transporters are taking advantage of the situation before Eid by charging extra fares.

No government official was present at bus or wagon terminals to check why they were looting passengers. Long queues of passengers were seen at all terminals, willing to get tickets.

All terminals including Pirwadhai Bus Stand, Faizabad Bus Stand, Mandi More Bus Stand, Hamrahi Bus Stand, Soan Bus Stand, Peshawar More Bus Stand and Karachi Company Bus Stand was jam packed with passengers, wanted to go to their native towns to celebrate Eid with their near and dear.

The passengers at bus-stands of Pirwadhai, Peshawar Morr, Faizabad and Soan told that the transporters were charging extra fares.

They said that transporters taking the advantage of Eid ul Azha were demanding high fares. The transporters were giving excuses of charging high fares that the government ordered them to load only nine passengers rather than 15 in a wagon. While they were loading 100 per cent passengers in a bus or in a wagon but charging double fare, the passengers said.

The District Regional Transport Authority Secretary Muhammad Rashid Ali told ‘The News’ that they were registering FIR against transporters charging extra fares. The authority has formed checking teams which were monitoring transporters fleeing the public, he said.

Waqar Ahmed said that he wanted to go to Zafarwal, but transporters were demanding extra money as ‘Eid tax’, which could not pay for seven member families, he complained. Another passenger Muhammad Waseem along with his family said that transporters were openly charging double fare but concerned authority was taking no action against them, he said.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Railway Station was also jam packed with passengers due to shortage of trains. The rush transferred to bus terminals because that was the only source to reach their hometown.