TAXILA: The much publicised air-conditioned bus service from Taxila to Rawalpindi, which was launched with much fanfare in August last year, has closed without an explanation.

The bus service was inaugurated by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, and was geared at hundreds of daily commuters. The contract was awarded to a private transporter, who initially ran 10 buses on the Taxila-Pindi route, and it was announced at time of the launch that the number would be increased gradually.

Instead, the service was suspended without any announcement. Hundreds of commuters who travel to Rawalpindi every day are now relying on wagons that charge exorbitant fares.

Commuters inconvenienced due to lack of alternative arrangements

Muneeba Mukhter, a student at the Fatima Jinnah Women University, said the service was affordable and decent for women passengers. She said that along with other students who travel to Rawalpindi, she had been inconvenienced by the suspension of service.

Bushra Perveen, an IT student, while lambasting the suspension of service, said local politicians made tall claims about serving the masses and launching various welfare projects but these were only cosmetic steps. She asked those who had inaugurated the project why the service had been suspended for the last month without any alternative arrangements.

Naveed Ahmed, a city district government employee, said hundreds of people commute from Taxila and Wah for work or studies, and most are from the middle and salaried class.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner Shahid Imran said the contractor’s buses were impounded by the customs department because they had defaulted on paying duties.

He said the contractor had been asked to make alternative arrangements, and the service would be re-launched soon. Mr Imran said a memorandum of understanding to run the coaches between the two cities was signed between the private contractor and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Rawalpindi, and so the running of the service was the latter’s responsibility.

RTA secretary Khalid Yameen Sethi confirmed that the service was suspended after customs authorities impounded the coaches. He said the contractor had been asked to run alternative buses, and action would be taken against him if he failed to do so.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2016