LAHORE, Jan 11: Inhospitable weather has added another dimension to the ordeal of over half a million people arriving in the city or leaving it daily by rail and road.

Most of over 200,000 passengers arriving or leaving the city by 84 train services daily are fully exposed to the vagaries of the weather. Most of the train compartments lack airconditioning facilities and majority of the passengers have to wait for the arrival of the trains in extreme cold on the platforms covered by over 30 feet high roofs.

Most of the compartments in the trains do not have airconditions and turn colder when biting wind enters there compartments during the movement of the trains. The passengers sitting or standing near the doors are the worst affected. Only five to 10 per cent passengers travelling in the airconditioned compartments are safe from wind in the moving trains.

As many as eight trains leave Lahore for Karachi and an equal number reach Lahore from Karachi daily. Nine trains each leave for Faisalabad, Narowal, and Rawalpindi and an equal number reach the city from these cities. Three trains each leave for Shorkot and Pakpattan and an equal number of them arrive here from these towns daily. Every train comprises 15 to 20 bogeys with a maximum 150 people travelling in economy class compartments and a lesser number in others.

Whereas the Lahore Railway Station has covered platforms for the passengers, the Badami Bagh General Bus Stand offers no such luxury for those desirous of travelling by road.

Over half a million passengers arrive and leave the city by 4,000 buses, wagons and coasters daily. Passengers cannot use the old waiting hall because no public transport can reach it from outside and it is situated at a walking distance of over 200 yards from the nearest of the 73 bus bays.

Travel on most of the buses and wagons plying on inter-city routes is extremely uncomfortable because at least 10 seats have been installed in every bus by the transporters to facilitate overloading. Wagon operators also stuff the passengers in their vehicles like sardines in cans. Anyone protesting against overloading is insultingly told to get off by the hostile conductors who know that their employers enjoy the dual protection of the road transport authorities and the traffic police.

Bus passengers are exposed to biting wind during the journey because the windows of most of the buses are not air tight. Passengers travelling by buses charging the prescribed fares is extraordinarily long as these are not only overloaded but also stop frequently along the routes. The drivers also wait for passengers for long intervals at the stops along the route in case the buses are not packed to capacity.

The transport authorities and traffic police continue to overlook overloading and fixing of additional seats in the buses despite the fact that there is no shortage of passenger buses in the city. Hundreds of buses are parked in the vicinity of the bus stand waiting for their turn to lift the passengers due to the large number of vehicles available for the purpose. Every bus lifting passengers from the general bus stand has to wait for three to 16 hours for its turn.