The Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif here on Tuesday stayed unauthorised increase in fares by urban transport services and adjourned the suo motu proceedings to January 12. Chief Justice while issuing these orders also constituted a special division bench to proceed further as he observed, "the matter pertains to grave importance."
Earlier, Secretary Road Transport Authority, Secretary Transport and Secretary General Urban Transport Owners Association appeared before the court. On court's query the secretary general of the association said that the fares were increased due to unavoidable expenditures.
At this CJ observed that the transporters should wind up their businesses if they could not bear the expenses instead of adding miseries of people. Were the secretaries sleeping when the transporters increased fares at their own the Chief Justice observed and added nobody would be allowed to play havoc with poor people. He further asked the authorities to set-up a Committee to determine transport fares after the increase in petrol and gas prices. According to details, transporters without any official notification increased the minimum one-stop fare from Rs 10 to Rs 15 and the maximum fare from Rs 30 to Rs 35.