ABBOTTABAD: Scuffles and verbal exchanges between public transport vehicle drivers and passengers have become a routine as traffic police, the district administration and the regional transport authority (RTA), Abbottabad, have failed to implement the new fare list on intra-city routes.

The residents, including school and college students, have demanded action against the traffic police, the secretary RTA and the district administration over their alleged failure to enforce the new fare list.

It is to mention here that the RTA secretary had increased the fares by a huge margin about a fortnight ago, but reduced the fares markedly about a week ago when the people agitated. However, the ‘big’ cut in fares agitated the transporters, forcing them to go on a strike.

The residents recalled that the RTA secretary had fixed the fare on Abbottabad-Mandian route at Rs37 six months ago. Later, they said the fare was increased to Rs55 about a fortnight ago when the CNG rates went up. However, they added due to agitation by commuters, the fare was brought down to Rs30 on the same route about a week ago, which the public transporters have vehemently rejected.

The fare is usually determined based on the prices of petrol and diesel, and not on any fluctuations in CNG rates.

The RTA has fixed the fresh fare at Rs3.50 per kilometre on intra-city routes.

Though the RTA has displayed the new fare list at bus stops across the city, the transporters are not ready to implement it.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2023