Eid celebrations: Ordeal for homebound at bus stands
By Hina Kiyani

ISLAMABAD—Even days before the Eidul Fitr celebrations, the homebound people from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have to go through turmoil and humiliation at the hands of transporters.
Like every year, people intending to go to their native towns and villages to celebrate Eid with their families have to suffer at bus and wagon stands, as transporters not only cause inordinate delay in the departure of vehicles but also increase fares.
Crowds of people could be seen running here and there at the main bus stands, particularly at Pirwadhai, Faizabad and Karachi Company during Eid days to get a seat to reach their destinations.
Munir Akhtar, a government servant told APP that this year, he had decided not to go to his village during Eid holidays, as he feared to undergo same kind of turmoil at the bus stands, which he had suffered during past several years.
“During every Eid holidays in the past I’ve been thinking that this time the situation would be different from the past. But, every time there was no end to the years’ old malpractice. I expect the same this year too. Therefore, I have decided to stay in Islamabad, away from my relatives.”
It is also a common sight to see transport operators fleecing money from the helpless passengers through various tactices, particularly by making undue delay in the departure of buses and wagons.
“The transporters hide the vehicles at some nearby places to create artificial shortage of transport. But as soon as the passengers become ready to pay double or tripple of the actual fare, the vehicles appear on the scene,” said Mumtaz Khan who has to go to his native town to celebrate Eid with his family members.
It is again embarrassing to note that even the midway passengers are forced to pay full fares.
“During Eid days I always pay fare for a distance that I will not even travel. Last year they told me point blank that I had to pay fare for the last destination, it does not matter even if I travel half the distance. I bought tickets for my entire family of five, so I had to pay a lot of extra cash,’ said a passenger who was leaving Islamabad along with his family almost a week prior to Eid just to avoid paying extra money to transporters.
Many people agree that transport operators during Eid days either disregard the set fares or find loopholes in them to rip people off.