LAHORE, Nov 5: There was a big rush at the Lahore railway station and Badami Bagh and Bund Road bus stands on Saturday, the last working day before Eidul Azha holidays.

The Eid holidays begin from Monday (Nov 7) and residents of other cities started leaving Lahore on Friday evening.

People started coming to the railway station and the bus stands early in the morning but the number started considerably increasing by noon when schools and offices closed, resulting in worst traffic jams on nearby thoroughfares.

Instead of managing traffic, wardens remained busy either in making calls on their cell phones or imposing fines on motorcyclists at Samanabad Mor, Taxali and Bhatti gates, Azadi Chowk, Yateem Khana Chowk, Babu Sabu, Scheme Mor, Chungi and Thokar Niaz Beg, besides Shahpur Kanjran on Multan Road and Saggian Bridge on Bund Road, near Badami Bagh Bus Stand. Non-functional traffic signals aggravated the mess at a number of intersections in the city.

The four special trains, run by the railway administration to cater to the Eid rush, seemed insufficient keeping in view the number of people intending to ride trains to journey to their hometowns to join families for Eid. Long queues were seen in front of the booking offices at the railway station. People were seen embarking on the passenger trains’ coaches and locomotives at Badami Bagh, Shahdara, Cantt, Kot Lakhpat and Raiwind City railway stations.

Strict security arrangements were made at the Lahore railway station while no such measures were seen at the Badami Bagh and Bund Road bus stands where hundreds of people came to catch a train or a bus to go to their hometowns on Eidul Azha.

All entry and exit points to the city railway station were properly manned and incoming passengers and their luggage was checked with metal detectors while a number of policemen were seen on patrol on all the platforms.

Operators of a few buses and coaches were seen using metal detectors to check commuters boarding the vehicles at some Badami Bagh bus bays but they were not bothered about the luggage, being loaded either on top or under the seats.

A visit to Bund Road, Badami Bagh and near Shahpur Kanjran on Multan Road showed that aspirants for reaching home at the earliest were first told that all the vehicles were full. Later, they were told that after paying at least double the fare being charged two days ago, they could be accommodated in the special bus, coach or wagon.

Transporters claimed that the revision of fuel prices and spiralling prices of essential edibles were the two major factors that forced them to increase fares.

The Punjab Transport Department said special squads had been constituted to foil attempts by transporters to fleece public before Eidul Azha. “The squads will ensure presence of adequate vehicles at every terminal in the city by conducting surprise raids. Heavy fines will be imposed on terminal management in case of overcharging,” a spokesman said.

At the railway station, a number of intending passengers were seen searching for space in the trains along with sacrificial animals while at the two bus stands almost every commuter was found complaining about overcharging and misbehaviour by transporters.

Meanwhile, the railways police said security arrangements on all entry points to the Lahore station had been intensified.

A railways police spokesman said a master plan had been prepared to ensure the security of passengers. Lady commandos would also travel in all the trains. The number of plainclothesmen at platforms had also been increased manifold.

Regarding the practice to travel on the roofs of coaches and locomotives, the spokesman said owing to staff shortage the trend could not be checked on all stations.