Passengers’ body: ‘Resume trains, cancel fare hike’

LAHORE: Daily Passengers Association of Pakistan Railways on Sunday called the suspension of train services on 20 routes from Lahore station and a hike in fares unfair and demanded that both the decisions be revoked.

DPA president Abdul Majid told the media that thousands of people were using the train services suspended by the railways to commute to jobs from their homes in town and villages in the city’s surroundings. He said many had had to leave jobs because of the absence of train service. The worst-affected, he said, were those travelling between Lahore and Narowal as train service was the most popular means of transport between the two cities. DBA president Majid criticised the railways administration for raising fares by 15 to 20 per cent over a year despite announcing only a five-percent increase. Pakistan Railways General Manager Junaid Qureshi was not available for comment. Director Public Relations Zubair Shafi Ghauri said the shortage of locomotives and funds problems had made the suspension of service on some routes and fare enhancement was unavoidable.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2012.