Government Should Provide Public Transport
By Ghazala Khan • Mar 21st, 2010 • Category: Features • 4 CommentsThe recent violent protests in the twin cities were pending since long. They have erupted after the sufferings of years. There is no system of public transport whatsoever in the country in any city or town.
The transport system is in the hands of a select few and it has emerged in the form of a formidable mafia. As usual this mafia is backed by the political clout and other business tycoons. Oil and petroleum prices have added new dimension to the inner workings of this mafia. Before and after the price hike of oil products, transport mafia increase the fare at local and long routes. When rarely government decreases the petrol and diesel prices, fares remain intact.
Brutal thing is that every now and then without any reason, the transporters form a new fare list and start charging it from the public. Now even when electricity charges are hiked by the government transporters take it as a queue and increase the fares. There is no control and writ of the government in this regard.
There is no mass transit system in big cities and there is no government bus or train service. People have gone crazy and near to death by the hands of this transport mafia. If government sometimes tries to reign in over this mafia, they go on strike and public suffers on the roads enroute to their jobs and schools.
The situation is ripe for country wide protests in this regard. We have seen that government doesn’t listen to the sufferings of the people until they come to the road. If that is way things work here in Pakistan, then we should brace for violent times, as everything is awry right now in the country.
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BHAI YEH SAB WAGON MAFIA KI MILI BHAGAT HEY WARNA TAU GOVT. NEY 2OO BUSES CHALAI HOI THEEN
MAGAR 500 WAGONWALEY BADMASHON KA DABBAGOAL HO GIA THA ISPERUNHON NEY YE SAB KIA.
AGARPAKISTAN SEY BADMASHI KHATAM KARNI HEY SARI NAJAIZ KATCHI ABADIS BILA TAFRIQ TAUDNI HON GI
WARNA SARA MULK KATCHI ABADION SEY BHAR JAEGA KIA LAHORE, KIA KARACHI, KIA ISLAMABAD
Ghazala Khan:
Well written:
Here is my Solution for Islamabad. Let us start there.
Mr. Zardari and Mr, Nawaz Sharif should put in $30 million from their stolen billions and start a non-profit subsidized Public Transport Service. This bus can hold down fares for daily wage earners and other citizens of Islamabad.
My Husband used to go to Gordon College from Pindi on a GT double Decker bus. Alas most of these were burnt during anti-Ayub protests.
Also Mr.Zardari and other VIP’s should cut back on motorcades and other unnecessary luxaries at Governmetn houss and military messes.
Whenever our VIP’s go abroad,ministers and generals alike, each a has a separate limousine plus another for their wives costing upto $1000 per day. These cars sit around round the clock. There is no security risk issue especially in the USA. Surely this money could be used for providing transportation for our working poor.
For people representing a poor country such shows of wealth at the expense of the starving is indeed the wrong message to send to the USA officials to give us more money!
The US government servants at the state dept that deal with our Generals and Ministers themselves ride the metro or bus to work. They are absolutely amazed at the huge limousines being used by the Pakistani delegation. Some of these limousines even have food and drink for the VIP to enjoy.
Someone should do an audit of Limousine cost of overseas trips,in the name of security.Nobody knows our VIP’s in Washington or London for that matter and there really is no security risk in the USA.
There is no reason why the embassy cannot get a full size Cadillac on a weekly rental that will cost only $400 for the week driven by our Embassy driver that could easily accommodate at least four of these high-flying VIP’s.
I have seen Mohtarmah BiBi driving around with one of her workers in a simple private car. There were no limousines. Not many people who are not from Pakistan receognized BiBi and there was no security risk. This was in September 2007 before her fateful trip to Pakistan.
Ghazala you are quite right.People in Pakistan are treated like cattle when they have to travel in overcrowded vehicles.One wonders why the government has never given any thought whatsoever to a public transport system managed by the government.
@Ghazala: Very well written