Transporters again increase fares

Barely a week after the unilateral increase of Rs5, local transporters in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have again jacked up the intra-city fare by up to Rs20 without waiting for the official nod.

Transporters running hi-aces and mini-wagons between the twin cities have increased the fare from Rs30 to Rs50.

Local transporters including mini-busses, wagons and Suzuki pick-ups in Rawalpindi have increased stop-to-stop fare from Rs20 to Rs30, an increase of Rs10 in one week.

The transporters have increased the fares after the government increased prices of petroleum products by up to Rs30 per litre for the second time in a week.

On the other hand, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has failed to stop transporters from resorting to the unilateral increase in the fares.

Commuters including students and office-goers have strongly protested the unilateral increase in fares by the transporters and the failure of the RTA to enforce official fares.

Rickshaw drivers have also increased the fare on the intra-city routes from Rs20 to Rs30. Meanwhile, motorcycle hail-riders have also increased the fare from Rs100 to Rs150. With the increase in fares, altercations and quarrels between passengers and transporters were witnessed on several routes.

Transporters have increased up to Rs10 in fares between Rawalpindi and Taxila, Kotli Satyan, Murree, Chak Bailey Khan, Kahuta, Klar Syedan, Sihala, Golra, Bari Imam, Gujar Khan, Daulatullah and Rawat.

In the last 10 days, intercity and intra-city transporters have increased fares by up to Rs20, which has taken a toll on an average earner and low-income families.

Muhammad Sain, who travels in public transport between the twin cities daily, said that on the last day, the one-side fare between Rawalpindi and Islamabad was Rs30 but now transporters have increased it up to Rs50. “People who are travelling in public transport have been deprived of even this cheap mode of transportation. This is taking a toll on people who barely earn Rs20,000 per month,” he said adding that travellers between the twin cities have to pay Rs10 daily fares in public transport and a total of Rs3,000 in a month, which is a hefty sum for people who earn only Rs20,000 per month.

He said that how would a labourer and daily-wager bear this unbearable expenditure.

Muhammad Sain demanded of the government to provide relief to those travelling in public transport.

The government had notified the increase in fares of intercity and intra-city transports last time on May 17, 2021, fixing Rs27 fare for up to 30-kilometre-long travel within the city.

RTA officials said that a letter has been sent to the Punjab government seeking an increase in fares of intercity and intra-city transport. They said that as soon as the official rate is notified, it will be implemented. They claimed that action would be taken against transporters over the unilateral increase and fines would be slapped on violators. They said that commuters and citizens should lodge their complaints to the RTA if transporters charged extra fares other than the notified one.

Transporters Chaudhry Shahbaz, Asif Khan, Ghulam Mustafa and Tariq Khan said that the increase in petrol and diesel prices was cruel the whole of Pakistan has been mortgaged to the IMF. They demanded that the government should immediately issue a new fare list in the light of the recent increase of up to Rs60 in the prices of petrol and diesel.

Transporter Chaudhry Shahbaz said that in such a situation when the government increased the prices of petroleum products by up Rs60 per litre in a week, they could not afford to ply transport at old rates.

He said that with the increase in the prices of petroleum products, prices of vehicle parts and other accessories have increased manifold and the increase in transport fares was inevitable.

He said that transporters could not wait for the government notification regarding the increase in fares.

Transporter Asif Khan said that besides the increase in the prices of petroleum products, the prices of tyres, tyre tubes and spare parts have also increased up to 100 per cent. He said that a notification regarding an immediate increase in fares should be issued, otherwise, they will resort to strike. “If government authorities issued challan against any vehicle on the increase in fares, a wheel-jam strike will be called.

He said that instead of increasing the prices of petroleum products, the government should cut 50 per cent of the petrol and diesel quota of government officials, bureaucrats and ministers.

Taxi Drivers’ Union President Shafaqat Ali said that taxi and rickshaw was a ride for low-income groups and the government should offer subsidy to taxi and rickshaw drivers on petrol.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2022.