Public transport associations have requested the government to withdraw the decision to raise petroleum product prices across the board or else they would launch a countrywide strike. A meeting of the representatives of different transport unions has been called on Thursday (today) to devise the future plan in which different options including increase in fares will be discussed.
Talking to Business Recorder, Presidents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad Transport Associations have rejected hike in fuel price and said that it is now difficult to run transport on existing fares any more.
The government on Tuesday increased the price of petrol by Rs5.37 per litre, bringing it up to Rs94.91. The price of diesel was increased to Rs103.46 per litre. The new price for high-speed diesel was fixed at Rs103.46 per litre, while light-diesel price was raised to Rs90.21. High-octane fuel was raised by Rs6.29 per litre, while the price for HOBC was raised by Rs6.29, bringing it to Rs118.20 per litre.
Haji Malik Nawab, President Islamabad Transport Association told this scribe that a meeting of all transport associations had been called in which an increase of Rs 5 per stop would be proposed.
He further said that decision to increase fares in the federal capital was linked to the decision of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) which was under Punjab government.
As soon as RTA issues notification of increase in fares, transporters in Islamabad would also increase fares. Malik Sultan, President Rawalpindi Transport Association said that it had become financially impossible to operate transport on existing fares. Transporters were already facing worsening situation due to gas shortage, said Sultan, adding that government should immediately withdraw the increase in POL prices otherwise a countrywide protest demonstration would be launched. An increase of 10 percent in fares on long routes will also be proposed in the meeting.
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