Transporters have increased the inter-city bus fares in Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. The recent surge in the inter-city fares due to fuel price hike has dampened the Eid happiness of the non-resident Multanites looking to travel to their native cities.
This misery of commuters is a regular feature of every Eid, however, the matter is worse this year as fares of the inter-city public transport have added to the traditional exploitation and overloading of commuters by transport owners. The inter-city transport fares of air-conditioned buses do not fall under any government regulation therefore transporters exploit commuters by tagging even the most dilapidated buses as air-conditioned and charge fares at their will. Right after the fresh fuel price hike, the Inter City Transport Owners Association (ICTOA) declared an increase in the fares benchmarking the per stoppage fare at Rs 100.
The subsequent increase in the fares of every destination has pushed the travel beyond the range of the middle and lower middle and the least privileged classes. The despair of the commuters does not end here as even after paying escalated fares, they have to bear the tantrums of transporters who stop at every bus stop and overload the vehicles doing all they could to make the journey back home uncomfortable and unforgettable for people.
The commuters said the transport owners knew the fact that people from other cities and towns could not avoid the journey therefore they were exploited. 'I used to pay Rs 150 to go to my hometown, but now I have to pay Rs 200,' said Munawar Sheikh, a commuter at General bus stand.
'Despite the high fares I have to travel to my hometown to celebrate Eid as my insist me to spend all religious festivals at native town' Khalid Abbasi said while leaving for Bahawalpur, along with his five family members. He said his family enjoyed Eid with their dear ones. However, a segment of people of the low-income group, who belongs to far-off areas have started preferring spending Eid in the city due to an unprecedented hike in transport fares.