Transporters unilaterally raise fares
After a drastic hike of up to Rs35 per litre in fuel prices, transporters in Rawalpindi have unilaterally increased the intra-city fare by up to Rs10 and intercity fare by up to Rs150.
In the garrison city, intra-city transporters including mini-buses, wagons and Suzuki pick-ups have increased stop-to-stop fare from Rs30 to Rs40.
After the unilateral raise in the fare, fights were reported to have taken place between transporters and commuters.
Transport fare from Rawalpindi to suburban areas and tehsils of Kallar Syedan Kahuta Kotli Sattian, Gujjar Khan and Taxila has been increased by Rs30.
The two-way fare between Rawalpindi and Islamabad has also been increased by Rs30.
Local bike service company Bykea transporters have also increased the fares. Bikeya motorcycle riders have increased the fare between Committee Chowk and Saddar from Rs100 to Rs140. Similarly, the fare between Committee Chowk and Faizabad has been increased from Rs150 to Rs200, and the fare between Committee Chowk and Katchehri Chowk from Rs130 to Rs150.
Fares have also been raised dramatically from Rawalpindi to Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and surrounding areas, resulting in verbal scuffles between passengers and transporters.
Intercity transporters have increased the fare from Rawalpindi to Peshawar by Rs50; from Rawalpindi to Lahore by Rs100; from Rawalpindi to Faisalabad by Rs120; from Rawalpindi to Sialkot by Rs150; from Rawalpindi to Multan by Rs250 and from Rawalpindi to Karachi by Rs800.
Rickshaw and taxi riders in the garrison city have also increased fares.
Regional Transport Authority Rawalpindi spokesperson Rana Sadaqat told The Express Tribune that the increase in transport fares was illegal.
He said that last month, when the government reduced the prices of petrol and diesel, transporters did not reduce the fares. He said that if the oil prices have been increased, they may be reduced next month.
He said that an operation will be started against the transporters, who have started charging extra fares, from Monday.
“Transporters charging extra fare will be challaned and their vehicles will also be seized and no one will be allowed to increase the fare illegally,” he claimed.
Transport Federation President Asif Khan said that with the increase in the price of petrol and diesel, the price of spare parts including, tyres, tubes also increase by up to 150 per cent.
He claimed that toll tax has also been increased by the authorities concerned. He said that the increase in fares was justified. He said that in case of a further increase in the price of petroleum products, fares will further be increased.
Taxi Drivers Federation President Tariq Khan said that they increase the price with the increase of petroleum products.
He said that the prices of petrol and diesel have been increased nine times in this last one-year, with a fraction of the reduction in prices three times. He said that they were compelled to increase the fares after the government increased the price of petrol by Rs35 per litre.
Transporters said that prices had been increased as it was difficult for them to continue operation in losses. When asked why they did not reduce the fares when the government reduced petroleum prices, they had no answer.
Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles were seen at filling stations in Rawalpindi to fill tanks as the new prices were set to be enforced from midnight.
Petrol pumps continued to sell petrol diesel at the old prices as they did not get the information about the new prices. However, after receiving information about the increase in prices, many petrol pumps were closed before the implementation of the new prices.
Citizens, Muhammad Sharif, Nasser Malik, Raja Bashir and Asad Malik say that the government has dropped a bomb of inflation, the common man will be killed, the storm of inflation will engulf every sector, after which with the increase of price of all necessities of life it will be difficult for the common man to earn bred, the wave of inflation will cause further deterioration and a complicated situation in the society.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2023.