August 09, 2008	Saturday	Sha’aban 6, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 8: The Sindh government on Friday issued the notification of the revised public transport fares, providing relief to transport operators who were anxiously waiting for permission to charge from Rs2 to 3 more for any distance to make the rates commensurate with the recent hike in petroleum prices. The delay of more than a week in the issuance of the notification was attributed to the absence of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who was abroad. A summary of the revised fares was forwarded to him on his return, and was eventually signed by him on Friday.

The notification read: “The Sindh government, in the pursuance of the powers conferred by Sub-Section (II) of Section 45 of the Provincial Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 and in supersession of all previous notifications issued, has re-fixed public transport fares plying on urban/intercity routes with immediate effect.” According to the revised schedule, the minimum (i.e. up to five kilometers) bus fare has been increased from Rs8 to Rs10. Students will continue to get a 50 per cent discount. The minimum fare of minibuses has been raised from Rs9 to Rs11 and the minimum coach fare from Rs13 to Rs16.

The minimum fare of KPTS buses has been increased to Rs12 from Rs10, the UTS buses with AC from Rs13 to Rs14 and the UTC buses (without AC) from Rs10 to Rs12. The taxi, cab and rickshaw fares have been raised by Re1 per kilometre.

President of the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) Syed Irshad Hussain Shah Bukhari and general-secretary Syed Mehmood Afridi have expressed their satisfaction over the issuance of the notification.

Major associations of transport operators had given a call for a wheel-jam strike to be observed on Saturday if the government delayed issuance of the notification anymore. They, however, withdrew the call on Thursday following assurance by the government that the revised fare schedule would be issued in a couple of days.

A KTI statement issued on Friday said that public transport vehicles across Sindh would be operated as usual on Saturday and the fares would be charged as per the new schedule.

Chairman of the National Transport Ittehad (NTI) Saleem Khan Bangash also welcomed the revised fares and noted that the new fares would be applicable with effect from Aug 11.

He said the fares would be reduced accordingly if the government brought down the oil prices by Rs20 per litre.