December 02, 2008	Tuesday	Zilhaj 3, 1429

PESHAWAR, Dec 1: Following reduction in prices of petroleum products, the Sarhad Transport Owners Association here on Monday announced 6.10 per cent decrease in the fare of inter-city transport.

The Urban Transport Owners Association is expected to announce a decrease of Re1 in the fare from one bus stop to the next in the Peshawar city on Tuesday.

The association’s president, Jehangir Khan Afridi, told Dawn that decrease in oil prices was next to nothing as compared to the reduction in the fuel prices in the international market. He claimed that the government was getting per litre oil at about Rs15 and even if the government sold it at Rs30, transports would further reduce the fares.

Regional Transport Authority secretary Syed Ahmed Naseem told journalists that proposals for reduction in the fare had been prepared to be put up at a meeting on Tuesday, which would fix fare for vehicles plying on roads in the Peshawar city.

The meeting, he said, would also be attended by Peshawar District Nazim Ghulam Ali, representatives of transporters, district coordination officer and officials from the transport department.

When contacted, Sarhad Transport Owners Association’s legal committee chairman Ihsanulah Khan told Dawn that the association had announced 6.10 per cent decrease in the fare of inter-city transport.

Giving the details, he said the fare from Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan was deceased from Rs320 to Rs280, for Peshawar-Bannu from Rs220 to Rs200, for Peshawar-Multan from Rs600 to 550, for Peshawar-Bahawalpur from Rs700 to 650, for Peshawar-Faisalabad from Rs450 to Rs400, for Peshawar-Sialkot from Rs330 to 300, for Peshawar-Abbottabad from Rs190 to 180, for Peshawar-Mansehra from Rs220 to Rs200, Peshawar-Karachi from Rs1,500 to 1,300 and for Peshawar-Lahore from Rs450 to 430. He the decision was taken at a meeting held on Monday, which was attended by leading transporters.

District Coordination Officer Sahibzada Mohammad Anees said action would be taken against transporters fleecing passengers. He said a meeting had been convened for Tuesday at his office where leaders of the transporters’ association had also been invited so that a consensus decision could be reached.

About prices of daily-use items in the city, he said a four-member price checking committee had been constituted for the purpose, which would take action against profiteers.

Our Buner Correspondent adds: The District Transport Authority has fixed new fares for different routes.

In this regard, a meeting was held here under District Naib Nazim Ghulam Mustaffa Khan, which was attended by Assistant Coordination Officer Pervez Khan Yousafzi, Road Transport Authority general secretary Mohammad Shuaib, traffic inspector Nawath Khan, transporters’ union president Mohammad Shah Khan, union council nazims Yousaf Ali Khan and Abusamim Khan, inspector (legal) Sher Zada Khan and others.

The meeting agreed to reduce the fares on different routes and resolved that the directives in this regard would be implemented strictly.