ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik on Tuesday assured the National Assembly that the Centre would ask the provincial governments to get the transport fares reduced in the wake of cut in petrol and diesel prices.
Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNAs Yasmeen Rehman and Shamshad Sattar Bachani taking exception to non-reduction of fares by transporters in Islamabad despite decrease in the prices of fuel, the adviser said that the transporters had already reduced the fare from Rs12 to Rs10 in Islamabad.
Mr Malik said the fares of the transport plying on the routes of Islamabad were fixed by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) which came under the Punjab government. He said the transporters in Islamabad had themselves announced reduction in the fares after the decrease in the fuel prices. However, he said, as transport was a provincial subject they would ask the provincial governments, particularly the Punjab government, to bring the fares further down.
Yasmeen Rehman and Shamshad Sattar Bachani while moving their calling attention notice alleged that despite recent cut in oil prices, the transporters had not passed the benefit to the commuters. The movers were of the view that there should be a regulatory body to monitor transport fares so that the benefit could be passed on to a common man.
An independent MNA from tribal areas Zafar Beg Bhittani speaking on a point of order said despite 60 per cent cut in the oil prices in the international market the government had offered only five per cent relief to the masses. He was of the view that the reduction in the domestic oil prices should be in proportion to the prices in international market.
Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza observed that the government should take steps to provide maximum benefits to the people whenever there was a reduction in the oil prices.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Senator Babar Awan jumped into the issue and suggested that on the basis of this calling attention notice, the matter should be handed over to a committee to develop a mechanism for bringing down the fares and to increase coordination with the provincial governments on the issue.
Mr Awan regretted that the transport sector was in the hands of the private sector and there was a need for rationalizing fares. He termed it an important issue which was related to labourers, students and common people.
The speaker, however, paid no heed to the minister’s advice of referring the matter to the committee.