Hike in bus fare: Transporters reverse decision

The govt withdrew prices increases to get transporters to reply in kind.

PESHAWAR: Long route transporters reversed bus fares to old ones following the government decision to withdraw the increase in petroleum products prices on Thursday.

Sarhad Public Transport Legal Action Committee (SPTLAC) President Haji Ihsanullah Khan told The Express Tribune that they have decided to restore the old fares from Friday.

Khan said that the revised fare for Dera Ismail Khan will be Rs350, down from Rs370, for Bannu Rs250 from Rs270 and for Multan Rs500 from Rs530, while the fare for Sialkot has been slashed to Rs350 from Rs330 and for Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad it will be Rs900 from earlier raised fare of Rs900.

However, he said that the vehicles running to Charsadda, Mardan and other districts of the province will not be affected by these cuts as CNG vehicles were plying these routes. He said that the government must form a consultative committee to discuss such issues and avoid similarly problematic situations.

He said that on one hand the government increased prices of petroleum products, but on the other, the price of CNG, which is Rs57 per kg at the government rate, was sold at Rs46 per kilogram due to competition.

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) had notified on December 31 to increase prices of petrol by Rs4.88 per litre and prices of kerosene oil, high octane and diesel were increased by Rs 3.75, Rs5.64 and Rs4.14 per litre respectively. This increase rocked the coalition government’s boat and produced backlash across political parties and the general public.

Published in The Express Tribune,  January 7^th, 2011.