RAWALPINDI
ONLINE
Sit-ins and protest marches have rendered 4,000 drivers and conductors of public transport plying between twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad jobless.
Protest movement launched by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) is continuing since the last 15 days and the administration has blocked the roads and avenues by placing containers on them to deal with the marches. The blockage of roads has adversely affected business of public transport running between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The routes No 1, C-1 21, 105, 122 and 7 are the worst affected routes in these long marches. Route No 1 starts from Sadar Rawalpindi and terminates at Pakistan Secretariat Islamabad. Route No 1-C commences from Sadar and ends at Karachi Company. Route No 21 starts from Swan and ends at Secretariat vial highway. Route No 105 moves from 26 No to Bahara Kahu. Route No 122 begins from 17 mile to Taramri and route No 7 from Swan to Golra Mor.
The drivers said that they have to pay Rs 1,800 per day to the owners of the wagon and in these days they were paying this amount from their own pocket as the road blockages have dented tremendously their income.
“We can make only one to two rounds these days while we used to make five to six rounds daily earlier. This way our household budget has gone disturbed,” they said, appealing the government and agitating parties to be compassionate and resolve political impasse through dialogue rather than aggravating the situation.
