LAHORE, Nov 25: Road travel in the city has become an ordeal for the commuters because of addition of extra seats and overloading in buses and wagons.

The transporters have affixed extra seats in all the buses and wagons plying on inter-city routes, including the airconditioned buses and flying coaches, to stuff the maximum possible commuters.

The wagons approved for 15 passengers have been converted into 22 seaters, 26-seater Mazda buses into 35 seaters and 42-seater buses to 50 seaters. The flying coaches are always jam-packed after seats are unfolded in the passage.

The transporters not only overload their vehicles, but also prolong the journey by waiting for commuters at different spots enroute. It has been observed that the drivers and conductors turn a deaf ear to the protests of the passengers against overloading or frequent stoppages of the vehicles, and sometimes insult them.

A majority of transporters do not issue tickets to commuters so that they don’t have any proof of travelling in a particular vehicle for complaint.

The transport department and traffic police officials are aware of the raw deal being given to the passengers, but do not bother to redress their genuine grievances for obvious reasons. The transporters alleged that they have to pay every traffic inspector through whose sector a bus or wagon passes. “The buses and wagons refusing to oblige the traffic police are impounded,” they add.

Uninterrupted operation of overloaded buses and wagons on all the inter-city routes is an undeniable proof of their contention.