GNN - ISLAMABAD: Commuters in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have lauded the government for bringing down fuel prices but deplored public transporters for not withdrawing raise in fare and not passing the benefit on the general public.About 60 to 70 percent of the people in twin cities uses
public transport to reach their offices and
commuters travelling on daily basis are the worst hit due to the poor
transport system.
Moreover, arguments and quarrels have become a routine between transporters and commuters, as many were not ready to pay high fare due to the decrease in fuel prices.
Fahim Khan, a commuter at Zero Point said that despite reasonable cut in prices of petroleum products, the public transport owners are in no mood to reduce increase in the fares.
He said that the increase in fares affects the commuters, particularly students, low- income and daily-wagers who had already been on a tight budget.
Muhammad Tariq, a student, said that it was not possible for him to pay fare after decrease in the fuel prices, adding that he spends most of his pocket money on fares of public transport.
A private organization employee, said that she had to travel from
Saddar to F-6 to attend office on daily basis and pay Rs 40 in term offare.
She said that fare was always increased on the pretext of increase in fuel prices but now after cut in fuel prices, fare has not been revised.
When asked a public transport driver about the transport fares, he said that it was the responsibility of the transport authority to revise fares, adding that if transport authorities in coordination with
Transport Association of the twin cities revise fares they would happily accept it.
The commuters appreciated the federal government for their generous decision for providing relief to the people.
Commuters demanded transport authority of the twin cities to revise the latest fares after reasonable decrease in petroleum products.
The commuters said transporters operating in the twin cities mostly use
CNG as fuel, but the transport authority had issued the fare-list according to the prices of the diesel and petrol.
Meanwhile, a senior official of regional transport authority Islamabad said that for passing on the benefit of reduction in the petroleum prices by the government, the authority has prepared new fares for inter city routes and sent to Deputy Commissioner
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) for final approval and for immediate implementation.
AIP,APP,GA
