ISLAMABAD: The capital’s citizens on Monday expressed their concern over the miserable condition of passenger vans stops and demanded their urgent overhauling from Capital Development Authority (CDA).
The waiting sheds constructed by the authority a long time ago to facilitate passengers are in a dilapidated condition and require urgent attention to make the facility functional.
Anwar Aftab at Aabpara stop, while talking to APP said that the stops are a blessing in all weather extremes, and called for their maintenance and cleanliness by the CDA’s relevant departments.
A lady passenger, requesting anonymity, said that they were happy when the facility was established as they were able to wait for a van with ease while sitting. She, however, complained that space must be customised with a dedicated portion for female travellers.
Another female passenger was concerned about non-availability of electricity, making them to wait under streetlights along the road at night.
Zahoor Ahmed, a passenger waiting for a van at T&T stop, said that some sheds were being used by drug addicts due to their deteriorating condition. He asked for their cleanliness so that proper usage of the facility could be ensured.
When contacted, CDA’s maintenance department official said that the facilities fell under Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI). An official from MCI said that their sanitation teams were working on a daily basis to clean the stops but this is also the responsibility of the public to keep the stops clean.
Responding to a question, he said that Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) must ensure removal of addicts. ITP should also force the public service drivers to only pick up passengers from authorised stops, he added.
“Our advertisement teams visit the stops and remove illegal publicity banners and wall chalking to ensure cleanliness of the sheds,” he said.
Work Secretariat director said that his department renovates multiple stops but regretted that paucity of the fund was hampering construction of new van stops and maintenance of the already built structures.
