April 17, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1428

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QUETTA, April 16: The bus stand in Satellite Town was shifted to Hazarganji on Monday under an agreement between the Quetta city nazim and representatives of transporters.

However, the strike call given by transporters of Loralai, Chaman, Ziarat left hundreds of passengers stranded near Quetta airport demanding pick and drop facility in the city.

All-Balochistan Transport Action Committee President Haji Qadir Raisani said though the bus stand was shifted to new site but transporters and passengers have been facing numerous problems, including non availability of offices, waiting rooms for passengers and water facility in Hazarganji.

He said on one the hand the Supreme Court had imposed ban on the construction work in Hazarganji and on other the government forced transporters to shift to the new site. However, he hoped that the government would abide by the agreement to issue permits for a shuttle service (pick and drop facility for passengers) from the city to the new bus stand.

Meanwhile, Malik Majid Kakar on behalf of Al-Milli Watan Transport, Kuchlak Transport Association and the Pishin Bus transport at a press conference at the press club here on Monday cautioned the government that if passengers; buses from Chaman, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Zhob and Ziarat were not allowed to pass through the Coal Phatak to drop and pick the passengers they would observe strike.

He claimed that more than 200 buses and coaches from northern areas of Balochistan stranded near Quetta airport on Monday to protest against the city nazim for not allowing the buses to drop passengers at the Pishin stop.

Majid Kakar claimed that bus fare from Pishin to Quetta was Rs25 but if passengers were dropped near the airport than they would to pay Rs100 to rickshaw to take them to the Quetta city demanding. He demanded the government to allow buses and coaches to pass through the Pishin stop via the Hazarganji bus strand.

He said transporters from northern areas of the province would meet in Kuchlak on Tuesday and discuss the future line of action.