Daewoo is not safe to travel any more!

Letter to the editor

Armed robbery aboard a Popular Bus Service

Dear Sir,

My intent in writing this letter is to bring to light an unfortunate incident that befell me on April 3, 2011. On my commute from Multan to Lahore (8:00 pm -1:15 am schedule service) via Daewoo bus, an armed highway robbery took place at 12:15 am near Pattoki about 1 hour short of its destination. Interestingly the robbers were none other than some passengers travelling with us from Multan. The four men and a women held the bus hostage at gun point, overpowered the guard and the driver, fired in the closed bus to intimidate and create panic, before finally driving the bus off-road to a secluded spot. There they took good 1 hour to comb the bus clean of all valuables with us and from the luggage. They then left conveniently in a getaway vehicle that was already waiting for them.

The fact that this happened just after the Pattoki toll plaza in front of the Sugar Mill – an area which is well-lit – and that the weapons were smuggled on-board by the woman in ‘abaya’ (veil), is deplorable. While no loss of life was incurred, it still speaks of the glaring lapse in the security of a very populous mode of transport.

Surprisingly when I tried to report the incident to the media, I was turned down on various flimsy grounds. One reputable channel told me that due its locality the incident was beyond its purview; one already knew about it but did not think it news worthy; while one had to seek clearance from its marketing department lest Daewoo be one of their valuable clients.

Needless to say, I have these questions for the concerned authorities:

· Why does an organization, that prides itself on its safety, not establish the veracity of the passengers before boarding? To my knowledge, all five miscreants were booked under ‘chance’.

· Why are the women passengers allowed on-board without proper search?

· What are my consumer rights as a passenger, when the loss to property is a direct result of the company’s negligence (a security lapse as stated above)?

· Why is Daewoo not put through the proper motorway police’s security protocols adhered to by most transporters?

· Why such nefarious incidents are downplayed in the media (especially TV) thus denying much needed attention to such irksome robberies?

We need to create awareness about them so that the company feels its responsibility towards passenger safety and corrective measures are put in place. The passengers will consequently be more inclined to cooperative with security personnel as well, for their own good.

Shauzab – a misfortunate passenger