KARACHI, Oct 17: The Sindh government is considering reducing transport fares following a major slash in the petroleum prices by the advisory committees of the oil companies.
However, the transport operators have opposed the government’s move contending that they would conditionally be ready if the government reduced the diesel price to Rs15 for six months.
Sources in the transport department said the government had approached the transport operators to seek their proposals with regard to a cut in transport fares so that the relief could be passed onto commuters.
An official said the government was reviewing the variation in the oil prices during the past few months to calculate the extent of relief to be passed onto commuters and the transport operators had been asked to submit their proposals.
“The proposal for a reduction in petroleum prices is not in question,” said Irshad Bokhari, President Karachi Transport Ittehad — one of the major groups of transport operators in the city.
He recalled that a previous increase in transport fares on Aug 4 took place when the diesel price crossed Rs15 per litre. The recent decline in the diesel price did lower the diesel price, but the difference of Rs2.3 was still there.
“If the government brings down the diesel price to Rs15, it deserves to approach us to hold negotiations on reducing the transport fares,” Mr Bokhari asserted.
In the prevailing circumstances when the prices of oil prices were lowered for a fortnight and increased again during the following fortnight, he believed there was no room for negotiations to lessen the transport fare.
Another major organisation of the transport operators — Karachi Transport Federation — said it would be ready to reduce the prices if the diesel price be lowered to June 14 level.
KTF chief Saleem Khan Bangash said the prices of the petroleum products had come down from 29 dollars per barrel to nine dollars per barrel in the international market but, he alleged that the government was reluctant to provide the relief to the people.
He maintained that the government signed agreements with international oil companies for three months and the fluctuation in POL prices in international markets did not have an impact on the agreement.
