No cut: Perturbed by high CNG prices, transporters not willing to slash fares

The government announced a Re1 cut but it has yet to be implemented

KARACHI: The reduction in petroleum prices offers little benefit for the intra-city public transport users as transport unions continue to run their vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) and, therefore, cannot reduce fares.

The government had announced a one-rupee cut in the bus fares for 10- and 15-kilometre-long routes, while it was reduced from Rs15 to Rs14 for 10-kilometre-long routes and from Rs17 to Rs16 for 15-kilometre-long routes.

However, according to Owais Muhammad, a regular commuter on the F-11 bus and Mehsood coach, the promised cut has yet to be implemented. "I pay Rs15 from Nipa to FTC when I commute through F-11 and the same from Nipa to the Power House Chowrangi when I travel on Mehsood coach."

"The price of CNG has increased three times during Nawaz Sharif's regime," said Farman, a conductor of the G-27 bus. He pointed towards the rickety state of his bus. "I don't even save enough money to get the fuel tank full," he said. "We will reduce the bus fare when the government reduces CNG prices."

The general secretary of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI), Syed Mehmood Afridi, reiterated Farman's stance. "We reduced the bus fares in 2011, when the Supreme Court ordered a drop in CNG prices," he said. "Today, our maintenance cost has largely increased. Thanks to these nine-seat and motorcycle-rickshaws, the backbone of our business has been broken."

The other side of the coin

On the contrary, the joint director of the Urban Resource Centre, Zahid Farooq, maintained that the transport unions used to hike bus fares whenever there was an increase in the prices of diesel. "They used to claim that we run our buses 90 per cent on diesel and 10 per cent on CNG. Now, when the price of diesel has been reduced, they are claiming that their vehicles run completely on CNG."

The official fares

Sindh transport department secretary Taha Faruqui told The Express Tribune that they had issued a notification that fixes the fares of intercity vehicles, including air-conditioned coaches and Hiace vans whose fare was Rs1.5 per kilometre, has now been reduced to Rs1.4 per kilometre. Non air-conditioned coaches and Hiace vans, whose fare was Rs0.88 per kilometre has been slashed to Rs0.82 per kilometre, added the notification.

The fare of air-conditioned radio, metro and white cabs has been reduced from Rs18 to Rs16 per kilometre. Similarly, the fare of rickshaws has gone down from Rs11 to Rs10 per kilometre.

"For the fare of intra-city vehicles, we are negotiating with the KTI and will soon announce the reduction in fares," said Faruqi. "Even if the KTI does not agree to reduce fares, we will announce the cut without their consent."

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2014.