After the recent hike in oil prices, private-public transporters are twisting arms of the provincial government to allow them fare raise of at least Rs2. The ultimate sufferers would be low-income commuters of Karachi, who are already facing immense problems in commuting and often compelled to travel on rooftops of overcrowded buses and coaches.
Commuters say it is turning out to be a mandatory tradition of transporters to perturb them under the guise of petroleum price hike. They are bent on finding ways of overcharging the commuters and threaten to call strikes if their demands are not met, complain the commuters.
However, the transporters have another story to tell. Chairman Karachi Transport Ittehaad Irshad Bukhari, talking to the media, said the private transporters were suffering huge losses due to rise in oil prices. He regretted that the government was dealing in the issue of bus fare rise with delaying tactics and have still not issued the notification regarding rise in bus fares.
He said that a KTI delegation had met Sindh Transport Minister Akhtar Hussain Jadoon on April 7, in which the minister had agreed to raise the bus fares by Rs2 and sought two days for the approval of summary by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. However, the summary was yet to be approved.
He said that the private-public transporters would have no option but to keep their vehicles off the road if the government did not allow them fare raise. “We would be left with no choice except to go on a strike if the government fails to issue the final summary of bus fare hike”, he warned.
But the Karachi commuters are not being consulted in the matter of bus fare rise, as no political party or consumer rights’ body is ready to defend their rights.
Commuters are complaining that transporters charge increased fares prior to the issuance of official notification.
A regular commuter, Shahid Ali said that transporters were like butchers who treated passengers as slaughter sheep. “What we can do when the government is standing by the side of transporters and has already agreed to raise the bus fares”. He regretted that nobody was sincere to resolve the grievances of the general public, especially commuters.
Another agitated commuter, Batool Raza, said, “It is beyond her comprehension that whenever petroleum prices increase, the transporters immediately demand a raise in bus fares, but why they remain tight-lipped when the petroleum prices decrease. Majority of bus conductors also misbehave when we ask them to show the fares list”.
Commuters say it is turning out to be a mandatory tradition of transporters to perturb them under the guise of petroleum price hike. They are bent on finding ways of overcharging the commuters and threaten to call strikes if their demands are not met, complain the commuters.
However, the transporters have another story to tell. Chairman Karachi Transport Ittehaad Irshad Bukhari, talking to the media, said the private transporters were suffering huge losses due to rise in oil prices. He regretted that the government was dealing in the issue of bus fare rise with delaying tactics and have still not issued the notification regarding rise in bus fares.
He said that a KTI delegation had met Sindh Transport Minister Akhtar Hussain Jadoon on April 7, in which the minister had agreed to raise the bus fares by Rs2 and sought two days for the approval of summary by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. However, the summary was yet to be approved.
He said that the private-public transporters would have no option but to keep their vehicles off the road if the government did not allow them fare raise. “We would be left with no choice except to go on a strike if the government fails to issue the final summary of bus fare hike”, he warned.
But the Karachi commuters are not being consulted in the matter of bus fare rise, as no political party or consumer rights’ body is ready to defend their rights.
Commuters are complaining that transporters charge increased fares prior to the issuance of official notification.
A regular commuter, Shahid Ali said that transporters were like butchers who treated passengers as slaughter sheep. “What we can do when the government is standing by the side of transporters and has already agreed to raise the bus fares”. He regretted that nobody was sincere to resolve the grievances of the general public, especially commuters.
Another agitated commuter, Batool Raza, said, “It is beyond her comprehension that whenever petroleum prices increase, the transporters immediately demand a raise in bus fares, but why they remain tight-lipped when the petroleum prices decrease. Majority of bus conductors also misbehave when we ask them to show the fares list”.
