The transporters have again won over the authorities to crush the already burdened commuters as the Punjab government increased the local transport fares at Rs 3 for stop-to-stop and Rs 7 for long distance. A notification to this effect was issued on Sunday. However, transporters would charge revised fares from Tuesday. The decision was taken after a meeting of concerned authorities and transporters in Lahore on Sunday.
It means that local commuters will have to pay Rs 13, instead of Rs 10 for stop-to-stop and Rs 27, instead of Rs 20, for long distance travel. Punjab Transport Authority (PTA) Secretary Shahzad Ahmed Cheema confirmed that Lahore High Court had ordered increase in transport fare by Re 1 for stop-to-stop a month ago.
After the verdict, the government increased the prices of petrol and diesel. Therefore, it has been decided to increase local route transport fares up to Rs 3 stop-to-stop and Rs 7 for long distance. He said that the notification of revised fares would be sent to all regional transport authorities (RTAs) on Monday. He said that transporters would charge Rs 27 after 32 kilometre distance, while local route transport fare would have raise-slabs of Rs 3, Rs 5 and Rs 7.
Rawalpindi-Islamabad Transport Association President Muhammad Sultan said that it is a surprising decision of PTA Secretary to increase Rs 3 stop-to-stop and Rs 7 for long distance travel. First of all, this increase on fares is not proportionate to the increase in POL. He claimed that POL rates have been raised too much.
"The notification allows to charge Rs 27 after 32 kilometre travel, but all routes are in between 12 to 20 kilometres. I can't understand as to how the Multan transporters would charge Rs 22-25 for the last stop," he said. On the other hand, people who travel through public transport have rejected the Punjab government's decision of increasing fares. They threatened the government to revise its decision otherwise thousands of people would come on roads.
Saadia Tabassum, a working woman living on Masoom Shah Road, strongly reacted against the Punjab government's decision to increase transport fares. She said that people were expecting decrease in transport fares by Rs 2-3 from Rs 10 to Rs 7-8 stop-to-stop. But instead of giving some relief, the Punjab government has increased fares without consulting the public.
"Petrol and diesel prices change after every 15 days in the country. Would the government decrease fares after decrease in petrol and diesel prices," she asked. Imrana Komal, a student, said that the PPP government has made life of common man more difficult and wondered as to how they would be able to pay Rs 13 as stop-to-stop fare. Local transport fares are already high and unaffordable for them.
"The government should resign immediately as it could not control the situation in the country", she said. Several other people said that more than 100,000 commuters travel through public transport in Multan everyday. How would they bear such cruel increase in fares and manage their domestic budget?