Due to non-availability of public transport, tens of thousands of passengers are suffering. The owners of private cars and taxi cabs are allegedly fleecing the passengers.
Horrific monsoon rains in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan have played havoc with human lives as well as other infrastructure.
The areas for which public transport service is suspended from Rawalpindi include Gilgit-Baltistan, Swat, Mingora, Behren, Kalam, Malam Jabba, Mardan, Dergai, Chakdara, Shamozai, Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Matta, Batgram, Hunza, Dassu, Nowshero Feroz, Layyah, Rajan Pur, Nigar Pur, Qazi Abad, Kashmoor, Rana Pur, Hyrdrabad, Quetta, Karachi and many other areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Welfare Transport Association and Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran have set up a flood relief camp at Pirwadhai Bus Terminal here on Saturday.
The traders and transport association have appealed to the citizens to donate the basic need items in the camp for helping the flood affected people.
Talking to The Nation, Nauman Khan, a passenger, said that he reached Pirwadhai Bus Terminal to catch a bus to travel to his native town Mingora but here he was informed that transport service between Rawalpindi and Swat was suspended due to flooding. He said he is a labourer and does not have enough money to hire a private car on rent to reach his destination. “I wanted to travel to Layyah but public transport is not available at any bus terminal in Rawalpindi,” said another passenger Irshad Ahmed, a university student.
An elected representative of the public transport union was of view that the transporters have decided to suspend the transport service between Rawalpindi and other flood affected areas for the safety of passengers and the transporters. He said though it was a big loss for drivers and conductors but the roads and bridges have been destroyed by the flash floods almost in all these areas.
He said that the government has been informed in this regard and the public transport service would be made operational after renovation of roads and bridges.
Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi was not available for his comments over the issue.