PESHAWAR, Nov 22: Commuters have asked the government to take effective measures for lowering down soaring transport fares in proportion to the recent decrease in the POL prices.
During a Dawn survey here on Wednesday, the general public strongly condemned what they called the “unjust delay” in decreasing transport fares by the transporters despite a reduction in POL prices.
Two weeks have elapsed since the government announced a cut in POL prices, but the transporter community has not reciprocated with the same gesture thus far.
The transporters promptly increase fares without waiting for government orders, whenever the prices of oil go up. But when it comes to decreasing fares, they wait for government orders, the commuters lamented.
Some people also told about the scuffles and brawls that occurred daily between commuters and drivers/cleaners over the fares.
“Transporters’ reluctance not to decrease fares clearly signify the absence of a competent authority to regulate these affairs,” said Farhad Ali, a banker.
He said being themselves citizens, transporters should demonstrate their responsibility by reducing fares on their own in the light of newly fixed prices.
But instead of doing so, they are even defending their act of overcharging, he said. He also held the government responsible for it and alleged that the practice of palm greasing kept this business going.
Shafiq Ahmad, a student of Peshawar University, said transporters had become a strong mafia who could not only impose fares of their choice but even defy government orders. He asked the government to deal with iron hand the transport mafia.
Similarly, Farman Ali, a schoolteacher, said that it was the responsibility of the government departments to keep a vigilant eye on transport fares between the inner-city terminals and also between various districts.
“Like checking of licenses and vehicle papers, the traffic police should check the numbers of passengers and fares which the transporters charge.”
Giving his version, a driver and his helper in a minibus on the main Jamrud Road, said the government fixed rates on all routes. The traffic police on roads should check whether we overcharge, they said, adding that whenever a new fare list was issued, the transporters charged accordingly.
This correspondent contacted the offices of Assistant Inspector General, traffic police, Regional Transport Authority and Provincial Transport Authority, but the officials posted there were at one on what they said: “It does not come under our domain.”