Transport authority justifies price increase

Further increase in transport fares by Rs 10 announced on Wednesday.

PESHAWAR: The inter provincial transport fares have gone up by Rs 10 on Wednesday, following a recent increase in the prices of petroleum products announced a few days back.

The increase in fares was announced by the Sarhad Public Transport Legal Action Committee (SPTLAC).

SPTLAC Chairman Haji Ihsanullah Khan  said that they have decided to increase fares keeping in view the problems that transporters have to face every day while taking public transport.

He said that inter-provincial transport fares are raised under a ‘slab formula’ agreed between the transporters and transport department and this time fares have been increased according to this formula, keeping them at a minimal.

“Anyone who has an objection to this increase can take it up with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Transport Department,” Ihsanullah said.

Ihsan said that transporters could raise the fares under the agreed formula when the petroleum prices are at Rs 80 per litre; however, after prices go up more than Rs 80 per litre then a new formula had to be agreed on. Fares from Peshawar to Bannu have increased from Rs250 to 260, Dera Ismail Khan Rs350 to 360, Faisalabad from Rs450 to 460, Sialkot from 400 to 410 and Bahawalpur from Rs500 to 510.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2010.