SWABI: The exorbitant increase in fares here has been leading to quarrels among the commuters and public transporters with the latter saying that the CNG price has been increased significantly and they have no other option, but to charge high fare.

The transporters claimed that the Provincial Transport Authority had failed to issue the fare list.

Reports of clashes have been received from Shewa Adda, Tordher, Chota Lahor, district headquarters and Topi tehsil. The commuters are not ready to pay high fare without showing them the fare list. They said that the transporters in various regions had doubled the fare, but despite that traffic police failed to take action against them though they did not have any official fare list.

“An auto-rickshawdriver told me in advance that he would charge Rs20 from Adina to Shewa Adda instead of Rs10,” said Aizaz Ahmad of Adina. The fare from Kalabat to Topi city had also been increased and the transporters and commuters could be seen arguing over the fares.

It has been observed that fares on all local routes had been doubled by the transporters. However, on inter-city routes the fare increase was about 50 per cent. The transporters have started taking Rs30 instead of Rs20 from Swabi to Topiand same was the rule for other cities. Mohammad Aamir, a school teacher, said that he daily paid Rs40 more than the previous fare.

Meanwhile, PML-N district president Mohammad Shiraz said on Sunday that the government was responsible for the entire mess and problems of the people.

In a gathering, he said that the government should have issued the fare list to avoid exploitation of people by the transporters. PML-N general secretary Dildar Khan said that the government had given a free hand to the transportersto fleece the people.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018