August 24, 2005	Wednesday	Rajab 18, 1426

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RAWALPINDI, Aug 23: The impounding of public transport vehicles by the police for election duty left scores of commuters travelling on local as well as intercity routes stranded at bus bays in Rawalpindi city, Sohawa, Gujar Khan, Mandra and Rawat areas on Tuesday.

In Rawalpindi, big crowds of travellers could be seen at every bus stop and main intercity public transport vehicles’ terminals. Many local commuters had to hire taxis/rickshaws to go to their work places, while some were seen walking to their destinations. Others had to wait for hours in scorching heat to get those very few public transport vehicles that somehow eluded the police and were packed to capacity. Patients, children, women and the elderly suffered the most.

Angry travellers criticized the government for its failure to run transport system smoothly. Instead of finding ways to provide some succour to the people, the government, time after time, creates more problems for them, they said.

On the other hand, the police continued with the hunt to commandeer vehicles for elections duties. While hundreds of vehicles have been impounded as many have disappeared from the main routes to avoid seizure.

Representative of local transporters’ association Shabir Bangash said about 550 of their vans had been impounded so far. He termed it a great injustice with the transporters as well as commuters. He said things could have been managed in a better way if the government had approached them for the provision of vehicles. There is no justification for impounding public transport vehicles three to five days before elections, he observed.

Mr Bangash also alleged that the impounded vehicles would be used for transporting people to polling stations to vote for the ruling party candidates and not for taking the elections staff to their place of duty. He said no charges were paid to transporters.

He said he would move court against the administration’s move.

Our Correspondent From Gujar Khan Adds: A large number of public transport vehicles have been impounded on the directions of the election authorities to transport polling staff, it has been learnt.

Although transporters are paid fuel and other charges, they refrain from volunteering their vehicle for election duties because of delayed payment and, that too, after numerous visits to the police stations or offices of the returning officers.

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