Bus fare hike

According to press reports, a section of Karachi transporters increased bus fares by 100 per cent from July 8. There is nothing surprising about it. The transporters have announced the increase following the increase in prices of CNG and HSD. As it is usually witnessed, there were arguments between commuters and bus conductors over the increased fares — which ranged from 100 per cent to 50 per cent. When commuters asked conductors to show government notification about the fare hike, they did not have such notification. Instead, they showed a letter/notification purportedly issued by a bus owners’ association. Bus conductors, as is their wont, rudely told commuters to leave the bus.

The Karachi Transport Ittehad president, however, told the press they had not increased fares but they had given a strike call for July 10 to press the government to allow for increase in fares. He admitted that some transporters’ associations had increased fares on their own. He justified the increase saying it was becoming increasingly difficult for transporters to run their business due to the rising fuel prices.

On June 1, the prices of petrol and HSD were increased. On July 2, the price of CNG was increased by Rs20 per kilogramme in Sindh pushing the fuel price to Rs123 per kg. Buses, rickshaws and freight trucks use CNG, so if they increase their fares and charges, it should not come as a surprise. Further, transporters say that the Sindh government has increased the fee for vehicle registration and other taxes. The cost of imported spare parts has also increased because of the rising rupee-dollar parity. They say so far the government has not compensated them for these increases in their input cost.

If transporters go on strike on July 10, it will be an irony of sorts in a city where public buses have already become a rarity.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2019.

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