August 02, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 1: Transport Secretary Rasheed Alam has said that a notification for the new fares of public transport will be issued only after approval by the chief minister.

“The transport department will submit a summary of the proposed fares to the provincial minister for transport, who will forward it to the chief minister for his approval,” Mr Alam told PPI on Friday.

Referring to the transport operators’ call for an early issuance of the notification, he said neither he had promised a hike in fares nor had any meeting with him been scheduled for Saturday on the issue.

Mr Alam, however, said that transporters had held a meeting with the transport minister and sought permission to increase the fares. “Although, the transporters were promised due consideration to their proposal for an increase in fares by Rs2 to Rs3, it can be notified only after approval from Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah,” he maintained.

The public transport operators had curtailed their two-day strike (July 22 and 23) by one day on the government’s assurance that the fares would be increased.

The strike was observed against hike in petroleum prices. Pledging the permission for a hike of up to Rs3 in fares, the transport minister had reportedly stated on July 23 that a notification to this effect would be issued in a couple of days.—PPI