KP transporters reluctant to reduce fares

Despite the recent reduction in prices of petroleum products public transports operators in provincial metropolis did not reduce fares, as according to them, most of their vehicles being running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The provincial transport authority has also slashed the fares of different long and local routes from 10 to 15 percent, with effect of cuts in POL prices. But, commuters using public transport were not provided any relief.
The commuters were sill pay old fares on different intra-district and local routes. Commuters complained that the transporters, plying mini buses, and wagons, and other long routes are sill charged with old fares rates, and were reluctant to reduce it on long and local routes. They said transporters are still charging them Rs 280-300 for Peshawar-Bannu, despite reduction made by provincial transport authority at Rs 226.
The federal government has recently slashed the price of petrol by Rs 9.43 and high speed diesel (HSD) by Rs 6.18 per litre. Petrol is now available at Rs 94.19 per litre and HSD Rs 101.21 per litre. In this regard, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed the provincial governments to pass on the benefits of the cuts in the POL prices to the citizens, particularly by lowering the transport fares and prices of commodities. Though it was expected that the public transporters would reduce the fares, commuters using public transport were not provided any relief. Transporters viewed that most of their vehicles, plying on long and local routes have been converted into Compressed Natural Gas, as the CNG prices registered manifold increase over the recent past, so it could be difficult to cut fares rates in line with fresh decrease in petroleum commodities, by the federal government, they added.
Akramullah Jan, who travels on Hashtnagri to University route on daily basis, said the transporters used to charge Rs 25 from Peshawar city bust stop to Sadder, and Rs 40 Saddar to Karkhano. Another commuter Bilal Akbar also faced a similar situation. Why the authorities are showing reluctant in taking action against transporters for not reducing fares rates, despite substantial cut in prices of petroleum products, Mohammad Ishtiaq, a university student, who travel to use public transport routinely, asks.
When this scribe asked from Khan Zaman Afridi, president of public Transport Owner Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa why they are not reduce fare rates, then took a stance that most of vehicle, plying on long and local routes on compressed natural gas (CNG) from diesel and petrol. He added the official rate of CNG has been fixed at Rs 72.25 per kilogram, but it was sold at Rs 76 per kilogram. We will ready to reduce fare rates, when the government could announce reduction in prices of CNG, Afridi said.
Khasta Gul, who operates buses on long routes, told Business Recorder that it was impossible to reduce fares on long routes. "Transporters on long routes cannot afford any reduction in the fares, so the government should provide relief to the citizens on the local routes," he said.