Drivers’ union resents shifting of Chitral bus-stand to Danin
Gul Hammad Farooqi
CHITRAL: Residents of Chitral as well as transporters and representatives of Driver Union have strongly condemned shifting of the existing stand of “Flying Coach” services, operating between Chitral and other parts of the country. The bus-stand has been shifted to an unsafe and risky place on the bank of Chitral River.
Mumtaz Khan, President Drivers and Transport union and Zahir Shah, Manager of Peshawar Bus stand, at Kroprasht Bazar said that the existing taxi and flying coach stand for Peshawar is situated in a very feasible and suitable place which is not causing for any problem
for the traffic. They said that there are 10 toilets, a waiting room for ladies and other facilities for passengers, besides being close to the city.
They said that at times the coaches reach Chitral during midnight and passengers can get a taxi easily from the present Bus stand or from nearby petrol pump as city is situated on walking distance. In case of shifting Bus Adda across the River at Danin, the passengers will face a lot of problems. They will pay some 300 rupees extra to a taxi to be able to reach the Bus stand because it is situated on a distance from market and settled area, the the two explained.
The officials claimed that they had legal license from Provincial Transport Authority but the present administration and Tehsil Municipal Officer were disturbing them unnecessarily.
They appealed to the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, for solving their problem and stopping the district administration from “disturbing them otherwise they will be compelled to came on roads and also to block the roads in wheel jam protest”.
It is worth to mention here that the proposed site for the bus stand had already been announced selected for Truck Stand two years ago but Truck owners did not accept the offer and continue to park their vehicles on the main road, causing traffic jams, every now and then.
