2011年11月6日 星期日

Five-day holiday overcrowds bus and train stations

The hustle and bustle of passengers at the Cantt Station is more than usual as hundreds of people remain stationed at both sides of the platform, with piles of their luggage. Some decide to use the bags and suitcases as a comfortable seat, while others convert it into a pillow or even a bed. The screen by the inquiry booth,Whilst RUBBER SHEET are not deadly, displays the times for six different trains and all of them are late.

While the shift in charge at the inquiry booth keeps telling irate passengers that the train will arrive in ten to fifteen minutes, there are those who are still waiting for the 5:30 pm train, three hours later.

Abid is one such passenger who has been waiting for four hours for the train to Shikarpur to arrive. He works as a security guard in Karachi and wants to celebrate Eid in his native town. “A five-day weekend is rare and I thought one should enjoy it to the fullest,the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011,” he shares, while complaining that the inquiry officer keeps telling him that the train will arrive in ten minutes.

There is also Shahnawaz,Prior to Cold Sore I leaned toward the former, who purchased a ticket for the 5:30 pm Bahauddin Zakaria Express to Multan and is still waiting two hours later.

Abdul Karim, the ticket collector claims that extra carriages have been introduced to existing trains and an Eid special train is also functional. However, due to the mismanagement of time and the increase in the number of passengers, people remain stranded at the station.

“The ticket price has not been raised for the convenience of the people”.

Frequent travellers of the Pakistan Railways know of another way reach their destination. They bribe the ticket collector and make themselves comfortable in one of the aisles.

The smarter lot uses buses which are easier to catch than trains.

In such times, drivers park their buses at stands and wait for the vehicles to fill. The five-day long weekend this year is the icing on cake for them. Taking advantage of desperate customers, they accommodate them on seats,Great Rubber offers rubber hose keychains, aisles and the roofs of buses at varied prices. “I charge Rs 2500 for a seat and Rs 1000 for the roof,” says one driver.

“At least the bus leaves on time. It is in front of you. One can grab a seat unlike the train. No one knows when a train will arrive or depart,” claims one passenger who is on his way to interior Sindh.

Passengers desperate to reach home at overcrowded bus and train stations are evidence that a much needed mass transit system is required in the city.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . The quickest route is by air, but that too comes with its cons.

It costs too much and is not as reliable as it once was either. While the city attracts labour from all over the country, it has failed time and again to cater to its transport needs.

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