Cheap fuel: Failure to announce transport fares leaves locals in a fix

Passengers in Chitral say transporters demand exorbitant prices

CHITRAL: The district administration in Chitral has yet to announce a new transport fare schedule following the downward spiral of oil prices in the international market.

Residents told The Express Tribune on Sunday owners of passenger vehicles continue to demand exorbitant prices even though oil prices have fallen. This has resulted in ongoing tussles between passengers and transporters. The district administration has failed to control this practice.

Israr Ahmad, a local said, “Transporters charge Rs100 for some journeys when the fare approved by the government [for the same journey] is Rs50.”

Another local said no substantial initiative has been taken by the police to address this matter. “Many people are questioning the use of tariffs if they aren’t even being enforced,” he said. Although the police and the district administration are aware of this menace, they have remained quiet over the matter.

Residents from across Chitral district — including Boni, Garam Chashma, Torkahu, Morkahu, Mastuj and Laspur — have echoed similar sentiments and want a permanent solution to the problem.

Many of them want Chitral DC Osama Ahmad Warraich, who recently took measures against encroachment drives in the district, to address this matter in an effective manner.

Over the last one and a half year, prices of oil in the international market have gone down by 75%, falling from $110 per barrel to below $28. At present, they are hovering around $30.

With sanctions from Iran being lifted, an addition of four million barrels per day is expected, which will further put pressure on oil prices. Some analysts predict prices can go down to $15 as soon as Iran starts pumping crude into the international market. This downward spiral has been seen as a blessing in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th,  2016.