KOHAT: The inter- and intra-city transporters are not reducing fares despite a signifi cant cut in the prices of petroleum products.

It has been learnt that the inter-city transporters are charging the same fares of 2013 from passengers despite fi xation of new rates by the provincial government recently keeping in view the lowering prices of petrol and diesel.

Assistant commissioner, Kohat, Mohammad Ali Asghar told Dawn that it was the responsibility of the provincial transport ministry to fi x and implement fares and it did not come under the purview of the district administration. He said that it was beyond understanding why the transporters were not ready to accept the writ of the government in this regard.

The inter-city transporters are also minting additional money by pushing 18 passengers in their 16-seater coaches. The practice has been continuing since long, but traffi c police standing at the stands do not intervene or ask the transporters to carry passengers according to their permit for obvious reasons. Mr Asghar said that he had noted the complaint and forwarded it to the district police offi cer to take action against traffi c police standing at the bus stops.

Traffi c in-charge Arab Jan told Dawn on phone that stop-to-stop intra-city fare had been fi xed at Rs5for CNG vehicles. He admitted that the CNG-run vehicles were charging between Rs10 to Rs15 instead of the offi cial fare of Rs5.

On the inter-city routes the transporters of Kohat have decreased the fare by Rs10 against Rs25 decline in petrol price, but they often indulged in overloading.

They also charge more than the fi xed fare when they have few passengers to make up for their losses.

He said that rickshaws had been exempted from fi xation of fare rates. They charge from the customers between Rs100 and Rs150 for the travel between the city and KDA Township. He suggested that the people should not pay more than the fi xed fares. He said that the main problem was that the people in hurry to reach offi ces, shops and homes often tended to pay higher fares and that created problems for other commuters.

Published in Dawn January 25th , 2015

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