RAWALPINDI: After a surge in petroleum prices, the Regional Transport Authority has increased the fare of public transport from Rs11 to Rs15 per four kilometer.

Caretaker government jacked up diesel price to Rs105.31 per litre and Petrol to Rs91.96 per litre.

Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Khalid Yamin Satti told Dawn that the public fares were increased from June 23 and the government had issued a notification in this regard. He said that the fares of public transport were not increased since 2016 and the petroleum prices had been increased several times in last one year.

According to the notification, non-air-conditioned intera-city public transport would charge Rs15 from stop to stop and Rs35 would be charged for 30 kilometer distance.

On the other hand, the residents of the garrison city, who basically belonged to the salaried class, asked the government to withdraw the recent hike in petroleum prices.

“The caretaker government was making the lives of the people difficult as the unprecedented price increase would disturb the quality of common man’s life and increase the price of edibles,” said Mohammad Shahzad, a resident of Murree Road.

He complained that flour, vegetables, beef, chicken were being sold at ‘revised rates’, and the transporters, cabs and rickshaw drivers were charging more, contending the petrol prices have been increased.

He feared the prices of daily commodities would further shoot up. Raja Shabir, a resident of City Saddar Road, said the government was making wrong decisions while increasing the public fares.

He said that transporters were already charging extra money as they did not reduce the fare when the petroleum price went down.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2018