Transporters continue to make passengers suffer by cramming public transport vehicles with people beyond their maximum capacity. The situation is not helped by the unwavering heat wave gripping the city, and the less than cordial attitudes of conductors.
Conductors wreak havoc at bus-stops in a bid to out-do their competition, pulling awaiting people into their vans, irrespective of whether the vehicle has the space to accommodate the new entrants or not.
In order to maximise revenue, as many as 22 people are stuffed into a 14 to 16-seater van. Similarly, mini-bus operators try to adjust more people than the possible capacity. Thus, vans and buses overflowing with people, several limbs hanging out of doors and windows, are a common sight in the capital.
Passengers have to face severe problems when using public transport due to the rude behaviour of the transporters. Scuffles between commuters and transporters erupt at the drop of a hat. Around 700 vans ply 14 routes from Rawalpindi to Islamabad, serving a population of about 1.7 million residents.
This brings to light the need for a mass transit system in the capital, which would save commuters from various problems, such as wastage of time and money. Commuters of the twin cities complained about the poor quality of services and rude behaviour of transporters. They demanded transporters treat them in a more civil manner. Muhammad Ali, a commuter, told Pakistan today that he faced immense inconvenience as he had to commute through public transport for work daily.
He said when he reached the bus stop, a number of conductors rushed towards him and pulled him in various directions, trying to get him to board their van. He said it had become the habit of the conductors to fight with the commuters. “Thousands of Rawalpindi residents have their jobs in the capital and have to commute by public transport daily, but the approach of the public transporters is a main source of irritation for them,” he added.
Alamgir, a student at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), said using public transport was no less than a punishment. He said transporters created problems for the passengers but people were forced to travel in these vans due to a lack of alternatives. “They load us into the vehicles like cattle, but we have no choice. We cannot afford to hire a taxi every day,” he said.
Students and people working in offices complained that travelling by public transport was a wastage of time as commuters had had to wait extensively at stops because transporters, instead of following a proper schedule, waited for long periods waiting for more potential passengers. They demanded the authorities concerned take note of the common mans’ miseries and take immediate action against those who did not follow traffic rules.
