DERA GHAZI KHAN: The relocation of private bus terminals from within the city to the general bus stand without proper land allocation, development of the designated sites and availability of standard facilities is causing hardships for passengers beside terminal owners who are actually not permitted to operate from there.

Passengers are particularly affected as luxury bus services have been shifted to the general bus stand where there are no quality facilities provided to them such as separate waiting areas and clean bathrooms.

Meanwhile, a private bus terminal continues to run on government land that was earlier allocated for Speedo Bus Service during the term of chief minister Usman Buzdar near the general bus stand while another was forcibly shifted by the district administration to the general bus stand.

The transport owners as well as private bus terminals are not happy with the government’s move and raised questions about the transparency in shifting them from within the city to the general bus stand.

An officer who carried out the operation of shifting of terminals claims that the managers of private terminals had signed a mutual understanding document for moving their stands to the general bus stand. The owners of private terminals reject the administration’s claims, saying that the agreement was not signed by their actual representatives.

On the other hand, the district administration has so far failed to provide essential facilities such as a sewage, water supply and electricity to the private transport owners who have shifted to the GTS. As a result, the ongoing dispute between transport owners and the administration is causing troubles for the commuters.

Another related problem is the absence of intra-city transport service to approach the bus stand, which is crowded and the passengers don’t get any facility despite paying higher fare than the general bus stand passengers.

“We buy expensive tickets for safe air-conditioned luxury stay with other facilities at the bus terminal but there are no such facilities at the general bus stand,” bemoans a passenger.

He suggests to the district government that limited operation from the city should be allowed until the shifting of all private stands at a properly developed site.

Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid says private bus stands couldn’t operate in the city that’s why the government shifted them to general bus stand.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025