Transporters suspend bus service from Quetta to Punjab, KP

QUETTA: Transporters have suspended the passenger bus service from Quetta to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa citing the law and order situation in this region.

The bus owners have parked their buses at a private bus terminal on Airport Road in Quetta as the inter-provincial transport service comes to a standstill due to the deteriorating security situation on the national highways.

Bus owners said that the service has been suspended due to extortion and terrorist attacks on highways connecting provinces, Daily Qudrat, the Quetta-based publication, reported.

Addressing the press conference, All Balochistan Coach Service officials condemned the recent attack on a private bus in Balochistan’s Sherani district and demanded compensation from the government.

The transporters warned that, if their demand is not met, bus services to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will remain suspended.

The bus owners also criticised the poor road conditions in the province, claiming that roads are non-existent. They also noted the issue of smuggling at borders, which they added that elderly and women passengers were often harassed under the guise of anti-smuggling efforts.

All Balochistan Coach Service officials also criticized the toll plaza in Qilla Saifullah, calling it unjustified in an area with poor road conditions. “Toll plazas should be established where roads exist,” they added.