The Neglected Lorry Adda

A hub of 50,000 travellers a day lacks basic facilities 

Lahore: Despite collecting millions of rupees in taxes annually from the famous Badami Bagh lorry adda (bus depot) at the Greater Iqbal Park in Lahore, the city government has failed to provide basic facilities such as toilets, resting areas, clean drinking water and food to the passengers, Bol News has learnt.

The largest depot not just in Punjab but the whole country is mired with a plethora of problems.  Many people were seen complaining about the basic facilities to the concerned authorities when this scribe approached them. Nabeel is one such passenger who while sharing his decade-long experience of commuting through the depot said, “When thousands of people use this place every day, the authorities should develop this place accordingly by providing at least the basic facilities”.

Furthermore, he said that the city district government of Lahore earns a huge amount from this stand but it is probably the dirtiest in the country. “The situation gets even worse during the rains as the entire lorry adda turns into a pool often mixed with the underlying sewerage water,” he added. The stench of stagnant water stays for days and the passengers have to walk through the filth to reach their buses.

Hailing from Gujranwala, Nabeel said he has been using the depot for the last 10 years to reach his workplace but the situation has not improved at all.

According to an estimate, around 4,000 small and big buses travel to and from the lorry adda every day. The footfall is around 50,000 passengers daily who use the bus stand to travel to other cities from Peshawar to Quetta and even Gilgit and Azad Kashmir.

Jameel from Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir apprised that he had been visiting Lahore regarding business for the last 20 years, but cannot think of one eatery that serves quality food. “It seems that even the Punjab Food Authority does not bother to check the quality being sold here at the Badami Bagh’s lorry adda”, he remarked.

According to Jameel, he has stopped purchasing from eateries after finding everything dirty and unhygienic.

Even the security of the largest bus stand remains compromised as there is no arrangement to scan vehicles or passengers at the entry and exit points. Similarly, there is no walk-through gate installed and even more surprisingly not a single CCTV camera to monitor this crucial junction filled with commuters every day.

None of the vehicle owners or the district administration of the lorry adda has any record of passengers travelling through this place which could be crucial to identify the whereabouts of possible suspects. There is no practice to check the identity cards before allowing passengers to board the buses.

On the other hand, it has also been observed that drivers have no place here to rest and relax after long hours of driving. They have no choice but to spend the night on the seats inside their buses or vans. Sleeping not enough to stay awake while driving put passengers at risk as accidents have become quite common in the country resulting in the loss of precious lives. According to the statistics of Rescue 1122, there have been more than 1.9 million traffic accidents in Punjab during the last 15 years resulting in over 25,000 deaths.

A bus driver Mubarak got a bit annoyed while telling how he approached the authorities several times but no concrete measures were taken to allay their sufferings. He confessed that most accidents happen when the driver is not alert because of little or no sleep before holding the wheel. In response to a question, he said a procedure for the arrival and departure of buses should be fixed so that drivers avoid unnecessary speeding on roads that jeopardise lives in the cabin.

Another important aspect of the Badami Bagh lorry adda is the proximity to monumental structures situated near the depot. Besides the Greater Iqbal Park, the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort are also located nearby where thousands of locals and foreigners pay a visit on a daily basis.

The deafening noise of horns and engines is another source of concern for tourists. Many proposals have been discussed to shift the bus depot to some other place but there is no headway by the district administration on this front so far.

The President of Lahore Transporters Ittehad, Shakeel Butt while sharing his views on the scenario said, “The district administration earns a billion rupees annually from this depot, but it does not spend much in providing basic facilities at the lorry adda. We have often complained about our concerns but there is no one to pay heed to”.

He also said that the bus stand, which was built in the 1960s, has become overcrowded due to an influx of buses and passengers. Due to the local businesses attached to the lorry adda, probably that’s the reason why it has not been shifted to any other place yet.

The spokesman of the City District Government Lahore has informed us that a waiting area has been built at the Badami Bagh for passengers with free Wi-Fi facility. He also informed that the police have been ordered to ensure manual checking of each passenger, which appears to be a tall claim.

To a question, the spokesman said that soon CCTV cameras would be installed and security would also be improved as a private security company will be hired for this purpose. To another question, he said the Punjab Food Authority officials have also been directed to regularly visit the place for inspections.

The Badami Bagh lorry adda was built over 282 kanals during the reign of former President General Ayub Khan in 1961. Earlier, the bus depot was located near the Sarai Sultan, Mochi Darwaza, but due to a lack of space there, it was shifted to the Badami Bagh area. Apart from the Badami Bagh bus depot, some other bus stands have also been built in Lahore over the years at the Thokar Niaz Baig and Bund Road, but the lorry adda remains the top preference of passengers.