On the second vacation day of the Eid-ul-Fitr Mon-day transport fares raised up to double and public transport also disappeared from bus terminals all over Hazara division while stranded passengers were wandering in search of transport. Transporters were charging fares at their own will and the people had no choice to reach their destinations except to pay the increased fares.
While talking to APP a commuter Amjad Ali said that he and his family were waiting for the bus at Abbottabad Lorry Adda for the last three hours, despite the double fare charge public transport is unavailable as the vehicles are less than half as compared to routine. He said that profiteers also jumped in to get their share of the situation.
Old buses and other vehicles that are not fit for long routes are being used, adding he disclosed. Another local passenger, Rashid Mahmood said that local transporters are also charging an extra fare as “Eidi” while neither the regional transport authority nor traffic police are taking any action to stop increased fares. He further said that from Abbottabad local transporters were charging 100 and 150 rupees for Manshera and in the same way on other routes transporters have also increased the fares.
Main bus terminals Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur and all other bus terminals in the region were full of stranded passengers who were going to every part of the country waiting for the public transport.
