BAHAWALNAGAR: Transporters continue to exploit travellers through overloading, overcharging and other malpractices with the alleged ‘blessings’ of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), which is supposed to check such violations.

Transporters continue to overcharge passengers despite reduction in fuel rates. Around 20 to 25 passengers are bundled into a van with an approved capacity of 15 on various inter- and intra-district routes.

In a van, three passengers are made to sit with the driver on a seat for two only. Similarly, a wooden board is placed behind the front seat to fit four to five extra passengers. In bigger vehicles, more passengers are stuffed like cattle by placing extra stools and makeshift seats, causing problems to the passengers, especially women.

Local vans plying on rural routes also transport luggage and even cattle along with passengers.

Sometimes, bags of fertilisers, sugar or grains are loaded onto a small vehicle that could result in serious accidents.

On the other hand, influential transporters managed to bring back bus stands, which had been shifted from Bahawli Chowk. Transporters pressed the administration on the pretext of court orders to bring back the stands to the city, increasing traffic as well as accidents on Bahawli Chowk.

RTA Secretary Abdul Fatah Haleo has given a free hand to transporters to run their affairs. Traders President Chaudhry Shafique Ahmad claimed vehicle stand owners had support of the district administration as the transport secretary had turned a blind eye to “illegal bus stands”.

Commuters have demanded the district government provide comfortable and economical travel facilities instead of supporting transporters who exploited the masses either through fare hike or overloading.

They also demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif launch a public transport system to end monopoly of private van stand owners who had made their lives miserable.

Former president of the Kisan Board, Pir Muhammad Hussain Bodla, said the administration and local transporters had joined hands to fail the expensive project of the general bus stand. The RTA secretary had submitted a proposal to the higher authorities to chalk out a “red zone”, including the new general stand in it. If the transport authority approved it, the government exchequer will suffer a heavy loss.

Riaz Ahmad, a commuter, said due to indifference of the authorities concerned transporters were exploiting citizens by extorting inflated fares and overloading. He said Bahawalnagar Assistant Commissioner Abdul Fatah Haleo held additional charge of the RTA secretary and was non-professional. Someone professional should be given the charge, he demanded the transport secretary.

Zulfiqar Ali, a student leader, said rural students faced a lot of difficulty in reaching their institutes due to maltreatment of private transporters. He said a public transport facility was a longstanding demand of students from far-flung areas such as Marot Fort Abbas.

RTA Secretary Haleo said efforts were underway to rein in transporters, while after the transport secretary’s decision the bus stand will be shifted from Bahawli Chowk to the new general bus stand soon. He said further the proposal for a “red zone” had been submitted in 2008 before he assumed charge.