Air, train travel likely to go dearer as fuel costs bite

PR sends proposal for increase in fares by 15 to 20 per cent

LAHORE:

 

Owing to the recent hike in petroleum prices, airlines and railways are mulling over to increase the fares to offset their rising expenditures on fuel.

According to sources, the Pakistan Railways (PR) is bearing the loss of Rs20 million daily due to a rise in the price of diesel.

The authorities have forwarded recommendations for the increase in fares by 15 to 20 per cent.
Each year, the state entity buys diesel worth Rs20 billion. However, following the surge in prices, the annual diesel expenditure of the railways is anticipated to reach 25 billion.

The authorities are also deliberating on the proposal to increase the stop-to-stop fare, sources added.

Meanwhile, national and private airlines are also likely to increase fares for both domestic and international flights, sources revealed, adding that the airlines are also bearing the brunt of the petroleum prices that have whizzed past records, with a noticeable decrease in the number of people choosing the air travel.

Sources said that the steady increase in the fuel prices, which many dread are likely to soar skywards in the coming weeks, will further put strain on the financial expenditure of the national and private airlines.

However, the increase in the prices will hit the passengers flying to foreign shores harder.
It is pertinent to note that the transport operators had last week raised fares by 20 per cent on all inter-city and intra-city routes across Punjab.

The government on Thursday announced that it had decided to raise the prices of all petroleum products barring one by another Rs30.

After the latest round of hike, petrol will be priced at Rs209.86, diesel at Rs204.15, kerosene oil at Rs181.94 and light diesel at Rs178.31. Only kerosene oil's price was hiked by less than Rs30.