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Transporters of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have offered to the government that they would pay Rs 100 million as rent of the land which the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has allotted to Varan Tours without any charges.
"If we were given the facilities which the Varan Tours is enjoying, we would bring the present fare lists to half and would provide better travelling facilities to the people of the twin cities," said Shabbir Hussain Bangash, Secretary-General of United Transporters Union here on Sunday while talking to a group of journalists.
Terming the Supreme Court decision on petition against franchise of routes by Punjab government as victory of truth, he said that this constitutional judgement of the apex court has proved that justice is alive in Pakistan and judiciary is free from any sort of pressure.
He said that as per franchise agreement Varan was bound to bring more than 500 buses for Rawalpindi but there are only 60 buses plying on the twin city routes. "Before franchise of these routes we were operating more than 450 wagons and 220 minibuses to meet the load on these routes," he added.
Bangash criticised the double standards of the government and said that private transporters were paying more than Rs 100 million per annum in different taxes. Varan, without paying a single penny as tax, is enjoying facilities of money minting. "We were never allowed advertisements while Varan buses are full of advertisements," he said.
He said that a wagon having 16 seats is paying Rs 6,500 as tax per annum, while 42 seater Varan is paying just Rs 3,000. Varan buses are inflicting huge loss to national exchequer besides causing terrible problems for the people travelling on the routes of the twin cities, he added.
It may be recalled that the District Administration Rawalpindi has franchised six public transport routes of the twin cities to Varan Tours since August this year, as per an agreement of Punjab Government with the company and asked the private transport operators to stop their operation. The franchise includes routes No 1, 3, 6, 12, 21 and 26.
The District Administration has created dozens new routes which benefit the passengers going towards congested areas of Rawalpindi City including Kacheri Chowk and other routes.
The private transporters including wagon, Suzuki and minibus owners and drivers under the banner of United Transport Committee raised the voice against the franchise of these routes to Varan Tours.
Later they knocked the doors of judiciary and the apex court has declared the franchise of the routes to any private company without following proper procedure as null and void, and asked the concerned circles to make sure that rules and regulations should be followed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2004

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