Transporters asked to cut fares by up to 25%
Our Correspondent Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Noor ul Amin Mengal has asked transporters to cut fares up to 25 percent to provide relief to commuters given the reduction in fuel prices by the government.
Despite the recent slash of Rs10 per litre in the prices of petroleum products, public transporters have not withdrawn the arbitrary increase in fares. Passengers travelling on public transport complained of fleecing by private transporters.
The Regional Transport Authority, the body responsible for regulating and implementing fares in public transport, has turned a blind eye to the issue, letting the transporters charge at whims. Violation and overcharging of fare from stop to stop continues on part of intra-city service providers. When passengers complain of overcharging, transporters get them off vehicles in the middle of the road.
Read: Transport fares go up in twin cities
According to a district administration spokesman, chairing a meeting, the Commissioner Rawalpindi Division directed the transporters to display fare reduction banners at their respective bus stands, mentioning both the previous and current fares.
He also asked transporters to get advertisements published in newspapers mentioning the reduction in fares.
The commissioner also instructed the transporters to keep their waiting areas and washrooms neat and clean so that the people could be facilitated. He said that tuff tiles should also be installed in the waiting areas besides ensuring proper cleanliness arrangements at all the city bus stands.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner, Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq, Secretary Regional Transport Authority, Rashid Ali and all the transporters of the district.
Briefing the meeting, the RTA secretary said that there are 18 bus stands in the city. A cleanliness drive was being carried out at all the bus stands as per the directions of the Punjab government, he said adding under the campaign, washrooms and waiting areas were being cleaned and whitewashed.
He also said that instructions have been issued to the transporters to also display dengue awareness banners at all the bus stands.
The Rawalpindi told the meeting that directives have been issued the authorities concerned to provide more facilities to the passengers at the Pirwadhai General Bus Stand.
With additional input.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2022.