KARACHI, Dec 2: People from various walks of life have criticized the nominal reduction in public transport fares saying it is highly disproportionate to the substantial cut in the prices of petroleum, oil and lubricants.

However, people were much indignant over the stubbornness of the transporters to even implement their decision about this negligible reduction in fares which they had announced on Saturday. People read the announcement of a reduction in fares in Sunday’s newspapers, and they had not the slightest inkling that the transporters would treat their own announcement with all the contempt in the world, as on Sunday conductors charged them the same old fares. There was no cut in fares on Sunday on any of the routes in the city. This resulted in ugly situations in buses and coaches as commuters had arguments with conductors. Commuters wanted to pay the new fares, as announced on Sunday’s newspapers, but conductors did not accept reduced fares saying they had not been provided with a list of revised fares.

The Action Committee for Civic Problems said diesel price had been reduced by nearly 25 per cent, so the nominal reduction of a mere 50 paisa in fares was nothing mote than an eyewash. It said the government should have included a representative of the people in the negotiations that were held to reduce transport fares. It was ironical that an entire party had been excluded from a decision that affected them the most. Government functionaries, who were supposed to speak and act on behalf of the people, had not much interest in public transport fares as they did not have to travel by public transport. They could not feel the pinch of the profiteering tactics of transporters, the committee said.

It suggested that the minimum bus fare be fixed at Rs2, for minibus at Rs3 and for coaches at Rs5. It urged the people to resist the prevailing excessive fares.

In a statement, the Pakistan People’s Party described the cut in transport fares as inadequate and said the fares should be further lowered by Rs2 to make them proportionate to the decrease in POL prices. The common man should not be exploited like this.

It said POL prices had been reduced by 24 per cent in the past two months whereas the cut in transport fares was a mere 14 per cent, which was not a proportionate decrease.

The PPP said the government had not reduced the fares of rickshaws and taxis which was a great injustice to the people. It asked the government to announce a proportionate reduction in public transport fares.

In a statement, Pasban, a youth organization, said the transporters were not following the new fare structure which were leading to arguments and scuffles between commuters and conductors.

The Islami Jamiat Talaba criticized the increase in concessional fares for students from 50 to 30 per cent, and described the decision as a cruel joke with students and education saying students were dependent on their parents and other family members, not earning hands themselves. The cut in concessional fares would discourage boys and girls from acquiring education, the IJT said.

It further said it was an additional burden on students as fees and other educational expenses had already been increased manifold. What kind of relief the minister of transport wanted to provide to the people, the IJT asked.

A delegation of the Supreme Council of the All Pakistan Transport Federation, led by Capt Asif Mehmood, met the Sindh Minister of Transport, Dewan Yousuf Farooqui, here on Saturday and discussed their problems with him, including terminus facilities for inter-city airconditioned and non-AC buses on highways, adds APP.

The minister talked to the Karachi Nazim by telephone and said transporters be provided land for terminuses for such buses. He said space should also be provided for trucks, trailers, tankers and buses outside the city.