KARACHI, Sept 26: The National Transport Ittehad, Karachi, (NTIK) and the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) on Friday announced an increase by Re1 in the fares of buses, minibuses and coaches from Oct 4.

NTIK Chairman Saleem Khan Bangash, in a statement, said the transporters were constrained to enhance the fares owing to increase in the price of diesel by Rs3 per litre since April 20.

He said the transporters had told the provincial and city governments during negotiations after April 20 that the government should increase the fares immediately if there was an enhancement in the diesel price by Rs2 per litre. However, he said, the government was reluctant to increase the fares despite a raise of Rs3 per litre in diesel price.

He said that after repeated requests the transporters had decided to unilaterally increase the fares.

Then KTI leaders, in a statement, said it was difficult for the transporters to continue their business because of undue hike in petroleum products’ prices.

They said they had waited for the government to decide about the fares and now “we have just two ways out, either to shut down our businesses or increase the fares.”—APP/PPI