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Deserted Terminals: Cost of Living Crisis Forces 45% Drop in Twin Cities’ Eid Passenger Traffic
A severe cost of living crisis has emptied transport terminals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, driving a 45% decline in Eidul Azha passenger traffic. Driven by a Rs 50 to Rs 70 per litre surge in fuel prices, sky-high bus fares have forced families to skip traditional hometown travel, leading Pakistan Railways to suspend eight trains as residents choose to stay back in the Twin Cities.
ND
by News Desk
2026-05-25
Deserted Terminals: Cost of Living Crisis Forces 45% Drop in Twin Cities’ Eid Passenger Traffic

Key Takeaways from the Crisis

The traditional festive rush across Rawalpindi and Islamabad has ground to a halt due to specific economic pressures shifting how residents are spending their holidays:

  • Fractured Family Travel: According to the Mutahida Transport Federation, overall passenger volume has plunged by 40% to 45%. Instead of entire households traveling together to their ancestral villages, families are sending only one or two members to manage costs.

  • Massive Railway Suspension: The lack of holiday commuters has taken a direct toll on public infrastructure, forcing Pakistan Railways to completely suspend the operations of eight trains due to empty stations and low bookings.

  • The Diesel & Petrol Premium: Transporters cite a massive Rs 50 to Rs 70 per litre hike in fuel costs over recent months as the primary reason for sky-high fares. They maintain that the government's minor Rs 5 reduction offers zero practical relief when the costs of tires, spare parts, and staff salaries have soared.

  • Exploitative Charging Practices: Commuters are facing extra financial strain at terminals, reporting that transporters are demanding full-seat fares for children as young as 10 alongside matching full-fare charges for luggage.

  • Depressed Cattle Markets: The same financial squeeze keeping people in the Twin Cities has heavily impacted the religious ritual itself, causing a corresponding 40% to 45% drop in the purchase and sale of sacrificial animals this season.

Enforcement Notice: While transport stations wear a deserted look, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has deployed monitoring teams through the final days leading up to Eid to fine and issue official challans to operators caught overcharging the passengers who do choose to travel.
Tagged:

#EidTravelCrisis #PakistanInflation #TwinCitiesNews #PakistanRailways #EidUlAzha2026 #Rawalpindi #Islamabad #FuelPriceHike #PublicTransport
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