Rawalpindi – More About Public Transports

Sometimes I have to grumble, and it was about the public transport service in Islamabad. In New Delhi I had an example when I took a bus and suddenly the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere as the driver didnt have mood to continue the journey, and all passengers had to find their own way.

In Rawalpindi, it’s another story. Conductors are little bit too much enthousiastic in selling tickets, that they will lift you even they know surely 1000% that the bus will not reach your destination. Instead they will take you the nearest point between your destination and their route. Once I took a bus to Phir Wadhai and they dropped me somewhere in Murree Road and asked me to go by Qingqi instead. I chose to walk, and it was even further than the initial distance where I took the bus.

In Islamabad, some bus numbers concern too much about the profit. Take an example, bus number 120 which passing from Melodi Market to F-10 through the Karachi Company. Karachi Company is a big terminus where all buses stop for a while for queueing. The price to Karachi Company is 7 Rupee, to F-10 is 8 Rupee. But the distance from Melody Market to F-10 is roughly double of the distance to Karachi Company. So you get the idea. If someone go directly to F-10 he will pay 8 Rupees, but if he goes to Karachi Company and continue to F-10 the price will be 15 Rupees.

I was waiting for buses for hours in Melody Market. I was sure that 120 all go to F-10, but no bus willing to take me. I asked why, they said that they just went to Karachi Company and not to F-10 (lie). The conductor also suggested me to go to Karachi Company first and then change bus to save my time due to the waiting in the Karachi Company station. Heh… since when the conductors thinking about the passengers’ time….

I followed another guy, also wanting to go to F-10, but we didnt say to the conductor our destination, until the bus departed. And yes, the conductor was not willing to sell ticket up till F-10 instead he only sold until Karachi Company. But we insisted, so we pay the 8 Rupees for direct trip to F-10.

Another story about Pakistani buses, that students dont need to pay for the fare. But as the students are also taking seats, in most situation they have to, and they choose to, sit on the roof of the buses. You can see during rush hours, school children sitting on the roof of the buses, and this style of travelling is not quite reccommended, for sure, as accidents do occur oftenly. And it’s not only for students, if you want to have free ride, then climb to the roof of the bus, the conductors will not catch you there. But another premise, the driver will not specially stop for you. I saw many students jumping from the ladder when the bus is still moving. Acrobatic action???

Pakistan food temptation

Hospitality along with the food

But what I like from Pakistan, or in Punjab at least, is that if you order food in restaurants you can ask extra food for free. It’s not all-you-can-eat, asking once extra is free, but not for the second time. Yesterday I ordered chicken biryani, and I finished the rice but left the chicken. I asked for more rice. The attendant took the plate, but very roughly, that my chicken flew away to the water. And the result, I got fresh chicken with a bunch of rice, for free. Yummmy.