ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Following successful completion and execution of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Service project, people travelling on Rawat-Islamabad route have demanded a similar mega transit scheme.
The commuters, who daily travel on different routes of the Federal Capital, especially Sihala-District Courts and Rawat-Islamabad, are facing acute shortage of decent public transport as they have no option to travel other than Hiace vans plying on the routes.
They reminded that the government had promised to provide the Metro Bus facility on Rawat-Aabpara and Taxila/Wah-Peshawar Morr routes after completion of the twin cities’ project.
Talking to APP, people especially students, government employees, factory workers and patients visiting Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Poly Clinic Hospital were of the view that Hiace van service was extremely insufficient to cater to the needs of the people.
They complained that Hiace van conductors humiliate commuters, charge exorbitant fare without showing the approved fare-charts besides threaten to disembark them instantly, in case of non-compliance of their orders such as frequent demands to change seats.
To reach their respective destinations, they said they were made to wait for hours in hot and humid weather conditions at van stops on the route number 124 and 111 where public transporters were involved in making extra money through different methods, including non-completion of routes.
“Women are among the worst sufferers as there is no proper seating arrangements for them in the vans, which has the sitting capacity of 16 to 18 persons,” Sultan Ahmed, a government servant, said.
Sajid Hussain, who was waiting for the hiace van at the Kak bridge stop in the morning, told APP that he spent over an hour to get a van plying on route number 124 and 111 to reach zero point.
He said most of the vans return from Khanna Stop to Islamabad, shortening their routes to make extra money for short distance and compelling passengers to spend extra money on a single-side journey.
