Drivers say many of them had fallen ill due to poor living arrangements at sit-ins
Most of the tired and disappointed transporters accompanying the Azadi and Inqlab marches have returned homes owing to non payment of their dues by the organizers besides prolonged sit-ins in Red Zone of federal capital.
The transporters said that the organizers belonging to Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) did not properly address their problems during prolonged stay and their drivers and conductors had to spent sleepless nights on the footpaths and green areas.
They said the extended stay of protesters in the capital have also caused losses to them. They pointed out that a number of drivers of vehicles had suffered from various diseases due to residential and nutrition problems in federal capital.
The drivers and other supporting workers who had braced inconveniences during long travelling from Lahore and Islamabad with the two parties almost five weeks back said they are now fed up with the long protests.
Most of the drivers said their vehicles were hired for three or four days but after almost more than one month, still there is no chance of early culmination of sit-ins.
A driver, Muhammad Ali, whose company provided around hundred buses on rent to PAT, said payment of daily was also a big issue for transporters.
“We are also facing problem of food, medicine and appropriate place for living,” he said, adding that one could survive for one or two days without proper living or food but one month were enough to add more miseries.”
Organizers have been repeatedly asked to ensure relief but simply promises and nothing on ground was shown.
“It is a known fact that Islamabad, being a capital is an expensive city where it is difficult for us to survive within a meagre amount being given to us,” Muhammad Ali said.
He said the drivers and supporting workers at the vehicles are being paid Rs 200 each for food on daily basis which is not enough, adding that who is responsible for our health as most of workers are suffering from fever and other health problems owing to food being eaten by them at low quality restaurants.
Another driver, Sulman, who accompanied with PTI rally, said sick workers have to spend their daily allowance on medical as well and this issue has been raised with organizers but to no avail. He said the other major problem being faced was unavailability of outfits as almost all of them have only one suit (Shalwar Kamiz) and they are unable to buy or arrange another one in a tensed atmosphere. Washing of clothes is also another issue, he added.
He said drivers and other supporting staff have to spend most of the time and sleep in their buses as non availability of shower facility have been causing more inconvenience for them.
A bus conductor said he was told the sit-ins in Islamabad would last for three days but after two weeks there was no chance of its culmination and added that sometimes he feels like home sick, especially when he telephoned his family in Lahore. “I wish the sit-in of the two parties should end in a peaceful manner, which is in favour of our country,” he added.
The transport belonging from different parts of the country including Layyah, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot etc was hired for the rallies. They said, PAT had hired a total of 117 buses in which 83 were big ones and 34 mini-buses while PTI hired 97 buses in which there were 71 big buses and 26 mini-buses.
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