GUJAR KHAN: Regular commuters availing the Green Bus service from Gujar Khan and Sohawa have demanded that the chief minister of Punjab extend this public-friendly transport facility up to Rawalpindi city.

They said buses operating from Sohawa and Gujar Khan now extended up to T Chowk, Rawat, leave a large number of commuters bound for Rawalpindi at the mercy of private transporters, while those reporting to duties in offices and courts in the district headquarters face hardships.

They also pointed out the lack of proper stops and safety hazards at the Gujar Khan and Rawat terminals. Muhammad Irfan, a daily commuter to Rawalpindi, said the Gujar Khan terminal was fixed without addressing the hazards pointed out by the National Highway & Motorway Police, while a safer location was available at the vast bus bay.

Similarly, at Rawat T-Chowk, open manholes and uncovered sewerage drains were exposing children and elderly persons to the risk of falling into drains located close to the boarding area. There was also no cover or shelter from the sun and rain.

Kaleem Ullah Bhatti, an advocate who travels to the district courts in Rawalpindi, said the route of Green buses plying between Raja Bazar and Sawan Adda in Rawalpindi could be extended up to Rawat town to bridge the 10km gap between Rawat and Sawan and provide a smooth journey for hundreds of commuters availing this public-friendly initiative up to Rawat.

Furthermore, the alignment and relocation of a number of stops were still awaited from the Punjab Transport Company, Mr Kaleem said.

He pointed out that Baba Shaheed stop and New Behgaam stop were also ignored on the Sohawa-Gujar Khan route despite public demand. On the other hand, Lalliani, Dhoke Maqadam, K-2 Factory, Kaliam, Dhoke Kashmirian, Baanth, Sattra Meel and Channi Bridge stops on the Gujar Khan-Rawat section needed pick-and-drop facility by the Green buses.

Mr Rizwan, the focal person of the Punjab Transport Company, while responding to queries by this reporter, said that a team of the Punjab Transport Company, accompanied by a survey team of Nespak from Lahore, would soon visit the routes to resolve the issues.

The open sewerage drains at the shelterless terminal of Green buses in Rawat speak volumes about the lack of safety standards for commuters.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026