KARACHI, Dec 29: The Provincial Transport Authority (PTA) and Regional Transport Authority (RTA), along with Traffic Police, conducted raids on inter-city bus termini on Friday to check overcharging by transporters on the eve of Eidul Azha.

Giving details of the drive, PTA secretary Khalid Khan told Dawn that the inspection team visited inter-city bus terminals at Cantonment Station, M. A. Jinnah Road and Sohrab Goth and inquired passengers about the fare charged by the transporters. RTA Secretary Shamim Akhtar was also present.

On complaint from passengers, the team persuaded the transporters to refund Rs200 excess amount charged from each passenger. On M. A. Jinnah Road, transporters were made to refund excessive amount out of Rs250 charged from passengers destined for southern Punjab. The refund was made to about 200 passengers seated in two buses.

The team also visited Toll Plaza on Super Highway and checked overcharging. Mr Khalid said that during the inspection, it was noted that buses plying on Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Sangarh routes were not involved in overcharging, which was rampant in buses destined for upper Sindh, Southern Punjab and Central Punjab.

Earlier the PTA issued a public notice warning transporters against indulging in overcharging of fares in defiance of their agreement with the PTA at a meeting held in November.

It may be pointed out that since trains for the upcountry are over-crowded and seats are not available these days, road transport is witnessing an extraordinary rush of travellers proceeding to their home towns to celebrate Eidul Azha with their families.