Bus terminal sealed for overcharging

MULTAN:

Bhakkar district government on Friday sealed the terminal of a private transport company for overcharging passengers and constructing the terminal in violation of rules.

A spokesman for the district government said Bhakkar DCO Zaman Wattoo had raided the terminal of Saami Daewoo Company and found the company over charging their customers.

Wattoo told newsmen that company was overcharging by nearly 40 per cent of the fares set by government after reduction in petroleum prices.

He said the company had also not displayed the list of fares as ordered by the provincial government.

The DCO issued a show cause notice to Regional Transport Secretary Mian Omar for failing to stop overcharging.

The district government spokesman said Niazi Bus Service had been charging Rs450 from Bhakkar to Faisalabad. He said Daewoo was charging Rs800 for the same journey.

Regional Transport Secretary Mian Omar Bilal told The Express Tribune the company had constructed its terminal away from the general bus stand.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Terminal Manager Mian Shakeel apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.

He said after the government announced reduction fares, the company had brought down its fares from Rs850 to Rs800. He said a proposal for further reductions had been sent to the company’s headquarters in Lahore. He said company executives would negotiate with the district government on land use.

He said the company had not obtained a No Objection Certificate from the district administration in this regard.

The DCO has convened a meeting to hear grievances of transporters and passengers on December 30. He said negligence would not be tolerated in the government’s crackdown on transporters found overcharging their customers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2014.