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Eid rush: transport workers ripping off commuters

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Cashing in on the eagerness of the people to celebrate Eid with their loved ones in their hometowns, the twin cities’ transporters have started overcharging the long-distance commuters right under the nose of the district administration.

Tickets are being sold on the black market, as there is a steady rush of people at the bus and wagon stations, which doesn’t seem to thin out.

It merits mentioning here that majority of the residents of Islamabad are outsiders, belonging to different parts of the country.

The government has announced three Eid holidays starting from Ist October, but people have already started departing for their hometowns.

A small number of people had booked early to avoid inconvenience. A sea of people could be seen at Karachi Company, Faizabad, Pir Wadhai and Soan Garden bus stations. People were jostling and elbowing to get closer to the booking offices.

Talking to Daily Times at Faizabad bus station, Madiha Akram, a resident of Rahimyar Khan, said that she came there to book some seats but her jaw dropped when she came to know that the transporters were charging 50 rupees above the normal fare.

“The actual fare is Rs 850, but the transporters are demanding Rs 1,400, knowing that I have no other option but to yield to their demand,” she said. She said absence of a check by the authorities concerned had emboldened the transporters to indulge in overcharging.

However, the transporters blamed the increase in fares on the increasing price of diesel and toll charges. They said diesel price was increased every fortnight by the government forcing them to increase fares to keep their vehicles on road.

Ahmed Raza, who had purchased 20 tickets for Lahore in the black, told Daily Times that he would sell them at Rs 500 against the actual rate of Rs 350. “People would definitely buy tickets from me because they have to go to their native towns to celebrate Eid,” he said. Majority of people believed that the administrations of different transport companies were indulging in overcharging because they knew the commuters’ choices were limited.

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