Transport fares rise after fuel price hike

Following another significant increase in petroleum prices, public transport operators have raised fares across the board.

The minimum stop-to-stop fare has once again been fixed at Rs50, while goods transport charges have also recorded a sharp increase.

Freight charges for loaded trailers travelling from Karachi to Peshawar have been increased to Rs700,000, triggering fresh inflationary pressures and concern among traders.

Local transport operators in Rawalpindi have increased fares by Rs20 per passenger, while services operating to surrounding areas have raised fares by Rs30 per passenger. Additional charges are now also being imposed on passengers' luggage.

Transporters have also started charging fares for children aged eight years. Long-route transport operators have increased fares by Rs100 to Rs250 per passenger, while the AC coach fare from Rawalpindi to Murree has been raised to Rs700. Local Qingqi rickshaws, bike taxis and motorcycles have also increased fares, while loader rickshaws have raised loading charges by Rs500.

Pick-and-drop charges for working women travelling between home and office have also increased. Citizens and commuters criticised the immediate implementation of the fare hikes. Arshad Ali and Fayyaz Hassan said transporters did not reduce fares for a week when the government previously lowered fuel prices despite administrative pressure, but raised fares immediately after the latest increase of Rs14.

Traders Azmat Khan and Wajahat Ali said the increase in trailer freight charges from Karachi would trigger another wave of inflation because the additional transport cost would ultimately be passed on to consumers.

Transport Federation Patron-in-Chief Haji Zahoor Arain said fare increases become unavoidable whenever petrol and diesel prices rise. He said vehicle prices, spare parts, tyres, heavy traffic fines, drivers' and conductors' salaries, taxes, fees and repeated increases in toll taxes also contribute to higher transport costs.

The Secretary of the Regional Transport Authority said transporters would be consulted on Monday to finalise revised fares, after which an official notification would be issued.

He added that displaying approved fare lists would be mandatory and action would be taken against overcharging and overloading.

The price hikes come after the government had reduced fuel prices in June. However, sources and experts suggest that the fresh wave of tensions in the Middle East has led to prices rising once again. Pakistan sources most of its petrol and continues to review fuel prices on a weekly basis since the start of the US-Iran war.