SWABI, Dec 9: The transporters and commuters have clashed on various routes across the district Swabi as the former tried to charge the old excessive fares but the later demanded revision of fares following the reduction in the price of petroleum products.

When last year and in the beginning of the current year, the government pushed upward the prices of petroleum products, the transporters said it was impossible for them to run their vehicles at the previous fares and the raise in it had become inevitable. The increased in fares occurred two times. However, after Oct 1, the oil companies advisory committee made four consecutive cut in the prices of petroleum products and now the commuters demand reduction in the fares.

The transporters pretended that they were neither given a new list of revised fares nor the provincial transport had made any announcement in this regard. The local administration had also not even verbally asked for any downward revision in the fares, the transporters claim, while brushing aside the arguments of the passengers and started quarrelling with them.

The commuters said when in February the local administration verbally allowed raise in fare in Swabi, Swabi to Topi, Swabi To Jehangira and Swabi to Mardan, the transporters exploited this statement and increased Rs1 on each stop.

Flying coaches running between Swabi and Peshawar are charging Rs30 against Rs25, from Jehangira to Peshawar Rs20 against Rs15, from Swabi to Mardan Rs12 against Rs10.