Overcharging commuters: Making most of CNG closure

ISLAMABAD: Taking advantage of the closure of CNG stations, taxi drivers have gone on an overcharging spree.

Some taxi drivers had maintained good terms with CNG station owners, through which they were able to get their tanks filled during the two-day closure, it has been learnt. However, this did not prevent them from demanding exorbitant fares from passengers on the claims that their “vehicles were running on petrol.”

A taxi driver was caught red-handed while obtaining gas from a CNG station located near Commercial Market, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi.

He initially denied obtaining gas, but later said, “Have you seen the skyrocketing inflation? We also have to run our houses and feed our children.”

Saba Imtiaz, a working woman from Satellite Town, complained about the lack of checks and balances over such drivers. “I saw the driver filling his car tank with gas but he fooled me by saying that his car was running on petrol,” she said.

Imtiaz works at a private company located in sector F-8 and usually plies between the two places on a taxi.

“On normal days, taxi drivers are already overcharging passengers but during the closure of CNG stations they make the situation even worse. The rate shoots up to 200 per cent,”
she said.

Similarly, Naeem Arif, a banker, said during the closure of CNG stations the taxi drivers had a “monopoly.”

“They are very well aware of shortage of public transport during these two days and take full advantage of this,” he said.

Arif added, “Closing CNG stations for two consecutive days is injustice.”

Samina Naz, a housewife said, “A week ago my mother-in-law fell from the stairs and there was no car at home. I had to hire a taxi to take her to the hospital, but the taxi driver instead of showing his sympathies took full advantage of my problem and overcharged me,” she said.

Naz urged that the government take practical measures to put an end to such “looting being conducted openly.”

Talking to The Express Tribune, Malik Aftab, president All Taxi Welfare Association acknowledged that some taxi drivers were “adopting unethical practices” in the twin cities.

“There are some taxi drivers who get their tanks filled during the closure and overcharge passengers by telling them their cars are running on petrol,” he said.

He further said there were some cabbies who had a fuel card made at some CNG stations through which they were bound to get gas even when the stations were closed.

Aftab blamed high inflation and non-cooperative attitude of the government leading to such practices. “Several times we have requested the government against this decision. We even asked to make Friday off for Rawalpindi and Sunday for Islamabad (both off-days), but no action was taken on this,” he added.

“The taxi drivers incur huge losses during these two consecutive days. To overcome the situation, they usually overcharge passengers because they too have to run their houses,” Aftab said.

“This business (driving taxi) is already on the verge of collapse due to increased inflation. With such policies, the drivers will further suffer,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2010.