KARACHI, March 12: Entry fees of the PIA Planetarium has been enhanced by 50 per cent making it difficult for the lower-income group of the society to visit it with families, it is learnt.

The entrance to the aircraft, an enthralling experience for the children belonging to lower-income group, had been made expensive approximately by 66 per cent, sources said.

They said that the PIA Institute of Planetaria, which managed the planetarium and the aircraft in the city, had enhanced the entrance fees from Feb 1 to increase its income from the loss-making concern. The income has not increased much, but the number of the visitors to the facility has come down substantially.

The sources said that earlier the combined entrance fees to the planetarium and the aircraft for an adult was Rs40 which has been enhanced to Rs60 (50 per cent increase), while the similar ticket for a child which used to cost Rs30 has now become Rs45 (50 per cent increase).

The entrance fees to the planetarium for an adult which used to be Rs30 has been enhanced to Rs45 (50 per cent increase), while a similar ticket for a child that used to cost Rs20 earlier has been enhanced to Rs30 (50 per cent increase).

The entry ticket to the aircraft for an adult that used to be Rs20 has been enhanced to Rs30 (50 per cent increase) and the similar ticket for a child which used to be Rs15 has been enhanced to Rs25 (approximately 66 per cent increase).

The sources said that on an average approximately 247 people visited the facility on Sundays in November last year and the income from them was around Rs6,980. In December, around 179 people visited the planetarium and the aircraft on Sundays and the management earned about Rs4,644 on each Sunday.

In January 2006, about 266 people visited the planetarium and the aircraft on Sundays and the collection from the facility on those days was approximately Rs4,233. In February, only 121 people visited the planetarium on Sundays on an average, which was the lowest in the preceding three months.

The average Sunday collection from the facility during February is around Rs4,763, which is slightly higher than the average Sunday collections of December (Rs4,644) and January (Rs4,233), but it does not reflect the 50 per cent enhancement in ticket charges.

People express apprehension that the management enhanced the entry fee to discourage visitors and thus preparing basis for its closure.

The sources said that even the PIA, after the new chief took over some time back, had lowered the tickets owing to which its revenue had skyrocketed why it was not lowering the tickets to these educational-cum-recreational facilities.

Many a times the planetarium shows are cancelled as very few people turn up to see the outdated programmes the sources said.