Fares go up after hike in POL prices

Transporters in Rawalpindi have raised fares on all routes with the increase in the prices of petroleum products, acting before the official announcement by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA).

As the government started the new fiscal year (2024-25), petrol and high-speed diesel prices increased by Rs7.45 and Rs9.56 per litre, respectively. According to law, transporters cannot fix fares and have to follow the official list issued by the RTA, yet fares for wagons, Qingqi rickshaws, and Bykea riders have been increased.

Intra-city fares and stop-to-stop fares have risen by Rs10. Previously, the intra-city fare was Rs80 and the stop-to-stop fare was Rs20, but with the fare hike, the new intra-city fare is Rs90 and the stop-to-stop fare is Rs30. Similarly, fares for routes from Rawalpindi to other tehsils, including Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Gujar Khan, and Taxila, have also seen increases. The fare from Rawalpindi to Islamabad has jumped from Rs120 to Rs170, leading to verbal disputes between passengers and bus conductors.

The transporters were of the view that the district administration had reduced the fares earlier due to the decrease in petrol and diesel, however, the reduction in fares was unjustified.

Transport Federation’s Vice President, Asif Khan, said that the transport industry also faces increased costs of vehicles, spare parts, traffic challan, token tax, and toll plaza fees.

He shared that the price of new vehicles has increased tremendously, with tire prices up by 300 per cent, and spare parts prices 500 per cent.

The challan rate token tax has been increased, if the price of petrol diesel is reduced by Rs20 per litre, the fares can be reduced. Khan suggested that a reduction of Rs20 per litre in petrol and diesel prices could justify fare reductions.

Passengers expressed frustration, saying that when the price of petrol and diesel was reduced last two times, the fares were slightly reduced and that too after several days, while now with the announcement of the increase in petrol, the fares have been increased in the morning without waiting for the announcement by the RTA.

The authority’s secretary should take immediate notice, they added.

A citizen, Khalid Qureshi, reported the following new fares: Rawalpindi to Morgah is now Rs90, Rawalpindi’s Raja Bazaar to Kahuta Rs150, Rawalpindi to Gujar Khan Rs160 and Rawalpindi to Murree Rs200.