With the onset of summer vacation, the streets in and around schools and colleges become deserted as not just the students but the vendors also keep off the roads.
With students not around, many vendors who come to the capital from other cities for business take a month’s time off to visit their families. Aqib Khan, accessory vendor near F-7 College, said, “My hometown is in Gujar Khan, during summer and winter vacation I go back home as we hardly get customers during the season.” “Students are our main customers and as they are not around during vacations it is the best time to meet my family and I have already started buying gifts for my children with the little that I have saved,” said Basit Ali, a vendor.
However, they are also upset about the financial crisis they will face this month. “When the college is in session, the girls keep visiting my stall to eat ‘chaats’ and ‘dahi bhalay’ but this whole month I will have very few customers,” said Shahbaz Khan, a vendor near Islamabad Model College for Girls. Similar is the condition of other street vendors who earn a living from selling food, books or accessories to the college students.
Khalid Shah, a street vendor, said, “As business is low during vacation, we are unable to pay the rent. I have told my landlord that dues would be cleared next month.”
46,457 challans issued, 889 vehicles impounded in May: Rawalpindi City Traffic Police (RCTP) issued 46,457 challan tickets with fines amounting to over Rs17.7 million were imposed on traffic rules violators during the month of May.
Chief Traffic Officer Syed Ishtiaq Shah said that the city traffic police in their efforts for the smooth flow of traffic took action against the traffic rules violators and impounded 889 vehicles and motorcycles on severe traffic rules violations while a number of drivers were also arrested during the period.
The CTO said that action in accordance with the law was taken against 379 vehicles for having tinted glasses and their papers were removed on the spot. 4,500 vehicles for having improper number plates were issued challan tickets. 472 drivers were fined for wrong parking. 228 drivers were fined over dangerous and negligent driving. A large number of two-wheelers who were driving without helmet were issued challan slips during the period. Over 1097 public service vehicles, on violation of route permits, 193 under age drivers were given challan tickets, he added. 517 drivers for creating hurdles in smooth flow of traffic, 1,500 for violating lane/line and zebra crossing were issued challan slips, he said, adding, 909 vehicles were also fined for wrong driving.
