Owners of public transport vehicles, plying on inter-district routes, are fleecing commuters with artificial fares, as people from other cities started leaving for their hometowns to celebrate Eid with their relatives. A number of commuters told this scribe that none of the transporters possessed the official fare lists approved recently by Regional Transport Authority (RTA).
The people regretted that the transporters charged them arbitrarily. People alleged that transporters had been creating artificial shortage of vehicles, paving the way for overcharging. "When a passenger asked transporters to show the fare list, he said the list went against their interests, therefore they didn't accept to them", Awal Gul, a commuter, said.
The transporters viewed that most of their vehicles are plying on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), they could not afford to run vehicles on fares, fixed by authorities. They further said the prices of petrol and diesel had revised several occasions, but CNG are still on high-rates as compared to petrol. Gul said the transport charged them Rs 220 to Rs 250 from Peshawar to Bannu, instead of actual fare of Rs 195/- per passenger fixed for Air condition buses, and plying coaches, by RTA. Similarly, from Peshawar to DI Khan, Rs 320 and Rs 350 being charged against the original fixed fare of Rs 296 per passenger for Air-condition buses and plying coaches.
According to commuters, from Peshawar to Haripur, Rs 200 being charged by transporters, while the actual fare was Rs 168 per passenger for Air-condition buses, coaches, fixed by authorities. While, they further said from Peshawar to Mardan, being charged Rs 70 per passenger against the original fare of Rs 51 per passenger. Junaid Khan said that passengers asking for charging of fare according to the official list were warned that they should pay or catch another vehicle.
"When I boarded the plying coach there was no seat available and the conductor told me to sit behind the driver's seat on a hot covering of the machinery, said Akram Khan, who was on way from Peshawar to Mardan. A university student, Imandullah said he usually paid Rs 250/- from Peshawar-Dir, but today they have charged Rs 300. I don't know why the authorities are reluctant to take action against the transporters mafia, he asked. Another commuter belonging from Charsadda complained that transporters were also charging double fare on local routes.
Women and children coming out without their male family members were seen waiting for hours at different bus stops during the Eid days. The people questioned where the officials of provincial and regional transport authorities had gone, noting with surprise that the much-wanted 'change' claimed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had not occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In addition, they also raised questions about the role of the district administration and traffic police. None of the traffic police officials were seen on roads to check overcharging by transporters on inter- and intra-city routes, they said.
When asked, the transporters blamed the high prices of CNG, toll charges and spare parts. "GNG prices are not revised despite several cut in rate of petrol and diesel and we have no option but to adjust expenditures," said a coach driver. When asked, the local traffic police admitted that they had not made any special arrangements for Eid days.