HYDERABAD, Dec 16: The residents of Khuda Ki Basti, Kotri, have appealed to the Sindh governor to direct the local transporters of Hyderabad to abide by the instructions of the government in respect of reduction in bus fares.

In a joint statement they said that the government of Pakistan had reduced the prices of petrol and diesel but the transporters in and around Hyderabad had refused to decrease fares.

They pointed out that the transporters of Karachi and Punjab were following the government instructions but the transporters of Hyderabad were still charging the old fares.

They complained that the local transport buses were charging Rs7 per passenger from Khuda Ki Basti to Hyderabad whereas the Government of Sindh had fixed the fares at the rate of Rs3.50 per 10 kilometres.

They said that according to the announcement, the bus owners should charge Rs4 between Khuda Ki Basti and Hyderabad but they continue to charge Rs7. Similarly, they said Rs5 per passenger was being charged by the mini-bus owners between Latifabad and Hyderabad which was too much.

They said that when the drivers and conductors were asked to follow government orders and reduce fares, they misbehaved with the passengers.

They said that the passengers were also made to suffer due to the non-observance of timings by buses and mini-buses, use of horns, reckless driving, and playing vulgar songs on cassettes.

They appealed the Sindh governor to enforce traffic laws on the local transporters of Hyderabad.

PRISONERS: Following one-year remission for the convicts by the Sindh governor, 12 prisoners have been released from the Central Jail Hyderabad and Nara Jail while 51 prisoners have benefited due to the remission.