KARACHI, Dec 19: Public transport fares will be brought to the level of May 2000 because of the recent reduction in diesel price, and a notification in this regard is likely to be issued by the Sindh transport department in a couple of days.
The city government’s transport and communication department’s officials will take up the matter with the provincial transport department on Thursday because, under the Motor Vehicle Ordnance, 1965, the latter is empowered to issue a notification on transport fares.
The city government’s EDO (transport and communication), Malik Zaheer-ul- Islam, who had already discussed the issue of bringing down fares of buses, minibuses and coaches to the level of May 4, 2000, with the transporters during Eid holidays, told Dawn that some of the transporters had expressed their reservations, but the matter would be amicably resolved at a meeting on Thursday.
He hoped that the meeting, which would be attended by officials of the Sindh Transport department, the city government’s transport department and representatives of transporters’ associations, would succeed in getting reduced the fares to the level of May 4, 2000.
The government brought down diesel price on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr to the level of May 4, 2000, ie, to Rs 12.82 a litre.
The fares of buses, minibuses and coaches on May 4, 2000, were: buses Rs3 (minimum) and Rs5.50 (maximum); minibuses Rs4 minimum and Rs6.50 maximum and of coaches Rs7 minimum and Rs8 maximum. These fares are likely to be made effective in a day or two.
STUDENTS’ FARE: The meeting would also consider a 50 per cent concession in fares for students.
About fares of rickshaw and taxis, Mr Malik said the city government’s transport department would also like to get reduced these fares to the level of May 2000, but this issue would be discussed at another meeting to be called soon.
There have been four cuts in the prices of petroleum, oil and lubricants, including diesel, in the past two and a half months, but the transporters are in no mood to reduce fares in accordance with the cuts in POL prices, PPI adds.
Between Oct 1 and Dec 15 there have been a total cut of Rs6.37 a litre in diesel price. After the third cut the transporters reduced bus fares by 50 paisa and of coaches by Rs one after much dilly-dallying. However, whenever an increase in POL prices are announced, the transporters increase fares without any loss of time. There is no talk of meetings of transporters associations among themselves nor theirs with the government. The government now remains a silent spectator, and the commuters silent sufferers because of the high- handedness by the transporters.
Now diesel price has reached the level what it had been six years ago, and then the minimum fare of buses was Rs2 and coaches charged Rs6.
Social organizations have demanded reduction in public transport fares, saying fares be linked to POL prices.
Talking to PPI a commuter expressed his disgust at the government’s attitude and apathy and demanded reduction in fares proportionate to the cut in diesel and POL prices.
He also demanded the setting up of a body to keep a watch on the transporters because in the absence of any effective government control the transporters had been doing what they wanted to do. They should be reined in: in matters of fare, speed limit and overall behaviour. He said tickets should be re-introduced, conductors should have whistles, and drivers and conductors should have special uniform to distinguish them from passengers.
“The transport mafia has become so strong in Karachi that they managed to get a DIG Traffic, Mohammed Yamin Khan, transferred because of his honesty,” he said.
