With Eid-ul-Fitr just around the corner, a number of people thronged bus stops and terminals in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to book seats for their hometowns.
The transporters have increased fares for all inter-city routes to mint money from the passengers. The transporters were also seen overloading their vehicles to accommodate maximum passengers.
Passengers at Faizabad, Pirwadhai, Mandi Morr, Pir Wadhai Morr and Motorway Morr said that the transporters are charging double rates while the concerned authorities have turned a blind eye towards the situation. Irshad Ahmed, a passenger at Pir Wadhai said that the transporters were not booking tickets in advance just to mint extra money from the passengers by spreading panic among them when they reach the bus terminals.
Muhammad Shabbir, another passenger complained that transporters are overloading their vehicle with passengers without caring for the ladies. “The condition on public transports is not suitable for travelling with families. I once used to travel by train but that option is no more suitable either.
According to transporters, they have increased the fare due to rise in petrol and diesel prices. They said that they overload their vehicles to accommodate maximum passengers due to Eid rush.