March 08, 2008	Saturday	Safar 29, 1429

PESHAWAR, March 7: The NWFP transporters unilaterally announced 35 per cent increase in their fares here on Friday.

President Sarhad Transport Owners Confederation Mohammad Zahir Shah Yousufzai told Dawn that the decision to increase the fares was taken in a joint meeting of the entire sister organisations of transporters in the province.

He said price of petroleum products had been increased to the extent that it had become impossible for the transporters to run their vehicles, adding that the increase in fares was a compulsion.

“Most of the participants stressed on a 100 per cent increase in the fares, but we agreed on only 35 per cent increase,” Mr Yousufzai said, adding that the price of all accessories including tyres and spare parts of vehicles had been increased, and the transporters were unable to meet their routine expenditures in such a situation.

Talking about the display of fare lists in public transport vehicles in the city, Mr Yousufzai said it was the duty of the provincial government to issue the fare lists in consultation with the transporters, saying that the officials concerned were not taking interest to solve the transport related problems in the province.

The leader of the provincial transporters’ body complained about the increase in the adda and route taxes, and alleged that the police were extorting money from the transporters on the routes.

NWFP Caretaker Transport Minister Ejaz Durrani, when contacted, told Dawn that he knew that the raise in fares was unjustified but he could not take action as the provincial chief secretary, through a notification, had stopped transfers, postings and suspension of any official in the province.

Mr Durrani said being a minister he had the powers but the nominated chief minister, Amir Haider Hoti, had “managed to get the ministers’ powers limited, which was not in the interest of the people”.

He, however, admitted that there were a lot of problems, which they could not solve during such a short time.

Meanwhile, citizens in the provincial capital have complained that the local transport operators were overcharging passengers at their free will and there was no authority to take notice of the situation.

The complainants said the transporters had increased the ratio of local fares without consulting the concerned officials and were not displaying the fare list to satisfy the passengers.

It was reported that transporters were also overcharging passengers who were going to other parts of the Frontier from the provincial capital. “They charge an extra Rs5 from a passenger who wants to go to Charsadda, Swat, Timergara, Malakand or southern districts from Peshawar,” s passenger complained.

Other complainants said that some transporters had also started mishandling passengers and in some areas, instead of two three passengers were crammed into a small seat in a vehicle. “It is really disgusting and humiliating for a respectable citizen,” a resident said.