LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — Transport companies in Punjab have cut passenger fares by as much as Rs100 a ticket after the federal government lowered petrol and diesel prices, officials said on Wednesday, and goods transporters have trimmed freight charges by up to 3%.
Rana Mohsin, the secretary of the Lahore Regional Transport Authority, said operators had put up revised fare lists at bus terminals and that the new rates took effect immediately. Operators who keep charging passengers the old or higher fares will face action, he said.
In Sargodha, transporters agreed to reduce fares on all routes by 12% after a meeting with Malik Muhammad Tahir, the secretary of the District Regional Transport Authority, who had called them in to review fares after the fuel price cut. Tahir said the revised fares applied with immediate effect, that a formal notification was being issued, and that transporters who did not comply would face legal action.
The cut, he said, was meant to pass the benefit of cheaper petrol and diesel on to passengers.
Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan directed officials to take strict action against transporters overcharging passengers, saying public transport fares must come down in line with cuts in petroleum prices. He told authorities to step up enforcement against operators breaking approved fare limits, and said the government’s crackdown on smoke-emitting vehicles was continuing.
The fuel cut behind it
The federal government cut the price of petrol by Rs8 a litre to Rs338 and diesel by Rs7 to Rs371, with effect from November 11. Diesel runs most intercity buses, coaches, and goods vehicles, so its price feeds most directly into ticket prices and freight charges.
Fuel costs remain a political flashpoint. The Jamaat-e-Islami has called nationwide protests and a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on November 29 to demand an end to the petroleum levy.
