RAWALPINDI: A broken down link road, stagnant sewage, foul smell and the absence of shelters are the main problems faced by commuters at the bus stop on Jhelum Road near the commissioner office.

The pathetic condition of the bus stop speaks volume about the negligence of the district administration and the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) who claim to spend millions of rupees on the development schemes in their jurisdictions. The district administration and the CCB have been shifting the responsibility to each other.

Due to the poor condition of the road to the bus stop at the district courts square, public transporters avoid stopping there and drop and pick passengers at the main road creating traffic jams.

Mohammad Anwar said he had to wait for the public transport on the main road as there was no shelter in the bus stop.

“During rain, the bus stop gets flooded with filthy water as there is no proper drainage system and commuters have to take shelter in front of shops on the other side of the road and rush back to the stop on seeing a public transport vehicle,” said Sohail Ahmed, a government employee.

Zaheer Malik said the government collected taxes from the citizens but provided them no facility.

Nasreen Akhter said there was no sheds at the bus stop and women had to wait for public transport on the main road. A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that the area fell under the administrative control of the CCB which had to improve the condition of the bus stop.

In reply to a question, he said the Parks and Horticulture Authority had launched a project to improve boundary walls of the commissioner office and the district courts but the maintenance of the road and bus stop was the responsibility of the CCB.

On the other hand, CCB Vice President Raja Irfan Imtiaz told Dawn that the improvement of the bus stop was the responsibility of the district administration as it received development funds from the government.

He said the CCB had no plan to improve any bus stand on Jhelum Road.

He said lawyers parked their vehicles on the main road which created traffic jams. If the provincial government provides funds to the CCB, the latter will reconstruct all the bus stands. “At present, the CCB is facing a shortage of funds,” Mr Imtiaz maintained.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2018