Minimum transport fare reduced to Rs 10

[LRE]

Minimum transport fare reduced to Rs 10

* Commuters demand similar reduction in maximum fare
* DRTA secretary says transport workers not allowed to overcharge

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: Urban transporters have reduced their minimum transport fare from Rs 12 to Rs 10, despite the Punjab Transport Department’s recent notification that minimum fare be Rs 12.

The Urban Transport Owners Association Chairman Bashir Ahmed Sial claimed that the transporters had made history by reducing the fare in the holy month of Ramazan and that it may continue even after Ramazan to provide relief to the masses as inflation was high.

He said that the oil prices in the international market had gone down from US $149 to $100 but no change had been visible in Pakistan.

He said that although it was not viable for them to reduce the fares, owing to the high oil and diesel prices, they would do their best to charge minimum fare. He said that they wished to facilitate the masses but it depended on what decisions the government took.

Hail reduction: Commuters of the city hailed the reduction demanding that the same should be done for maximum fares. They also demanded that the authorities concerned reduce oil prices in order to further decrease the fares. A commuter, Muhammad Riaz said “The transporters have decreased the fares for the first time, though at a minimum level, otherwise there has been a practice of overcharging.” He said that if reduction could be made for minimum fares then why not for maximum fares as well. He said that the authorities concerned should help the masses survive by reducing the transport fares after the decrease in oil prices.

Up till now, the minimum fare for urban transport in the city has been Rs 12 and maximum Rs 22. The Transport Department had recently increased the fares after the transporters demanded that the government increase the minimum fare. Besides that, in a span of one year, the Transport Department increased the fare three times. One year ago, the minimum fare was Rs 6, which afterwards, was increased to Rs 8, Rs 10 and then Rs 12 three weeks ago.

No overcharging: Talking to Daily Times, District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Munir Ahmed Joiya said that the DRTA would not allow any transporters to overcharge. He said that various transporters in the city were overcharging and that was the reason they had fined more than 600 vehicles and impounded several others.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_5