GUJRANWALA, Nov 20: Public transport owners, who increased fares arbitrarily when the government increased fuel prices a few months ago, have refused to cut fares despite Rs6 per litre decrease in diesel prices.

The result is frequent scuffles between passengers and conductors on all routes. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) fixed Rs60 fare from Gujranwala to Hafizabad, Rs65 from Gujranwala to Lahore, Rs60 from Gujranwala to Sialkot and Pasrur, Rs160 from Gujranwala to Rawalpindi and Rs10 from Gujranwala to Gakkhar Town, but transport owners are overcharging passengers on all these routes. For instance, transport owners are charging Rs15 from Gujranwala to Gakkhar Town and Rs30 from Gujranwala to Wazirabad.

Similarly, franchised buses have increased stop-to-stop fare to Rs15. Rickshaw owners are not behind in this race, as they are charging Rs40 to Rs50 from Gondlanwala Chowk to Satellite Town and Rs80 to Rs100 to People’s Colony.

Transporters’ representative Mian Ilyas said the ‘meagre’ cut in diesel prices was a ‘joke’ with transporters.

GAS SUSPENSION: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has suspended gas supply to at least eight industries and the number may swell in the coming days, Dawn has learnt.

Gas supply to these industries was suspended because domestic consumers were facing low pressure problem. SNGPL officials say gas supply to CNG stations and some other industrial units will be suspended soon to ensure smooth gas supply to domestic consumers in winter.

BAILIFF: A bailiff appointed by the district and sessions judge raided Ferozewala Police Station and recovered two brothers who had been detained there without registration of any case against them for the last two days, and produced them in the court on Thursday.

The court has summoned the Ferozewala SHO and the investigation officer for Friday (today). Irshad of Rakh Kikranwali village said in her petition that Ferozewala police raided her house, took away her sons Islam and Saddam “without any reason” and detained them.

LAWYERS’ DEMO: Lawyers boycotted court proceedings and took out a rally in connection with their weekly demonstration for the reinstatement of sacked chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The lawyers gathered at the barroom and held a meeting with bar president Malik Shaukat Awan in the chair. The meeting unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding immediate reinstatement of the judges who had not been restored so far. Later, the protesting lawyers took out a rally from district courts to Gondlanwala Chowk.

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