KOHAT: The social and political circles here have demanded rationalisation of transport fares on the inter- and intra-district routes, saying that three-fold increase in fares shows the irresponsible attitude of the local authorities who have not convened a meeting in this regard since long.

When contacted, secretary of the Regional Transport Authority, Nisar Khan, told this correspondent by phone that the Provincial Transport Authority (PTA) finalised the fares on the basis of increase in the CNG and petrol prices with the consent of the transporters and then the final list was forwarded for information of all concerned departments for its implementation.

However, he said that it was the duty of district traffic police to enforce the fares through own monitoring system. He said that it was the prerogative of the district police officer to take action against taxi drivers on receiving complaint about unjustified fares.

“The passengers are equally responsible for high fares as they do not raise voice against extra fare. For example, they paid Rs500 to reach their destinations at short distances just before Eid,” Nisar Khan said.

Answering a question when the last RTA meeting was held, he said that he did not remember exactly and his personal secretary should be contacted in this regard.

He said that even for the implementation of the new fares fixed by the PTA and RTA they were dependent on the district administration which enforced them through the traffic police.

He clarified that it was the responsibility of district administration to enforce the new fares and take action against taxi drivers for charging excessive fares from the public.

Due to absence of any check, the rickshaw drivers are charging Rs300 to the Al-Shifa Hospital in KDA from city and Rs80 during the day to Mamozona in the cantonment and Rs200 in the night after 9:00pm.

Astonishingly, they are charging Rs60 per stop even if it is a short distance of less than a kilometer. Most of the vehicles, including rickshaws, in Kohat are on CNG.

The KDA residents and those living near the University Road and Rawalpindi Road have demanded of the administration to introduce a bus service for them so they could travel on cheap and affordable rates with their families. Sources said that while petroleum prices were revised every month, the district transport authority had met for only one time during the last three years to review the fares.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016