Following Eid holidays that lasted till Sunday, city life is back to its mundane routine. After the mass exodus one day before Eid, those who had left to meet their families returned to the city. Inter-city bus terminals, including the General bus stand Badami Bagh and CDGL bus stand Sikandariya colony were seen crammed with passengers rushing back to work. The railway station also witnessed mass movement.
The entry points of the city were overburdened, with traffic frequently at a deadlock, as people departed from their home towns and headed for the provincial capital. City arteries that had but little traffic during the Eid holidays were choked with the massive load of vehicles entering the city.
Work in the public and private sectors resumed on September 5, as all educational institutions, offices and other businesses are also set to reopen.
An official at the District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA), Lahore said many transporters had been fined for overcharging passengers returning to the city. To control this activity, DRTA set up two squads, one each at the General bus stand, Badami Bagh and the city district bus terminal, Sikandria colony, Bund road.Markets and shopping plazas including Anarkali, Shah Aalam Market, Rang Mehal, Azam Market, Urdu Bazaar, Panorama Centre, The Mall, Liberty Market, Firdous Market, Barkat Market, Ichrah Bazaar, Pakistan Bazaar which had been deserted over the holidays sprang to life once more.
However, some government departments and educational institutions observed thin attendance as many people are yet to return.
A CDGL official told Pakistan Today that leaving work one day before Eid and returning a couple of days after celebrating the gala event was routine practice. Though strict directions were issued every year, neither high-ups nor employees bothered to adhere to them, he added.
Rana Jamshaid, owner of a private school in Faisal Town, said teachers ensured their full attendance as they had been warned of stringent action, but the low turnout of students marred normal educational activity.
