The citizens lauded the Punjab government for launching new CNG air-conditioned buses in the city and demanded that the same facility should also be provided for twin cities especially on the route of Saddar, Rawalpindi to Secretariat, Islamabad.
The new CNG air-conditioned buses were launched on May 9 for Gordon College to Rawat route. On the special instructions of District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rawalpindi Saqib Zafar, the new CNG buses route has been extended upto Gujar Khan aimed at facilitating the commuters of the area.
DCO on the public demand has also ordered for a new public transport route, Rawat to Bindhoth which will have the pubic transport facility of Van and Suzuki.
The commuters including Aslam, Atif, Malik Amjad and Altaf told that they are facing inconvenience and problems while travelling in local public transport particularly at Rawalpindi to Islamabad route, adding that launching of new CNG air-conditioned buses for masses was a good step which should also be arranged for other routes. The citizens urged the Punjab government to arrange the facility for other routes including Rawalpindi-Taxila route, Rawalpindi-Islamabad route so that the commuters could be provided relief.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government has launched CNG bus service in Rawalpindi in collaboration with a private transport company.
Commuters demand adjustment of transport fares: The citizens belonging to various walks of life have expressed their concern over the demand of the transporters for raise of local transport fares and urged the authorities concerned to adjust transport fares according to CNG prices and relief should be provided to the commuters.
The citizens urged the authorities concerned including Commissioner Rawalpindi division and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rawalpindi that they should protect the citizens interest as the local transporters are charging exorbitant fares as compared to other cities of the province.
Vice President Help Forum Chuahdary Nisar and others including Chaudhary Qasir Hayat, Dr Niaz Akmal, Irshad ul Haq, President Al-Akhouat, Sanaullah Akhtar, Muhammad Ali, Nadeem Ahmed of Sahour Foundation, President Aman Welfare Society Begum Azra Gulzar, Syed Ataf Gillani, students Naveed Sharif, Muhammad Aslam, Samia Naz, Fouzia, Samira, Jamila and representatives of social, political and business groups expressed their concern on the issue.
They said that Commissioner Rawalpindi Division in a recent meeting held here with the transporters assured them that the fares of the local transport would be revised. The commuters demanded that the local transport fares should be adjusted according to CNG prices and relief should be provided the them. “Transporters charge fares according to the petrol prices but on pretext of CNG closer days, most of the public transporters avoid plying their vehicles and those who operate, never complete their routes” complaint the commuters.
The route violation has become a routine practice and even some transporters remained off the road during CNG closer days. All the transporters operate on gas but they got adjustment of fares from the authorities according to petrol prices. Due to shortage of transport on the roads, a large number of commuters are witnessed waiting on the stops.
The transporters have also started over-charging without any official increase in the fares following surge in fuel prices.
Commuters said that the transporters are bound to follow the current rate list until it is revised. The commuters appeal the authorities concerned to take stern action against the local transporters for over-charging, over-loading and route violation. The overcharging of wagon and Suzuki fare by Rs 3 from stop to stop by owners of Toyota Hiace and Suzuki plying on different routes of twin cities is not justified.
The wagon drivers have started charging fare Rs 15 instead of Rs 12 from one stop to other stop on the several city routes unilaterally while no notification has been issued by the Transport Authority in this regard. It is injustice with the commuters to charge fare at the rate of Rs 15 even for the distance which is less than one kilometer, said a citizen.
“We have also been affected adversely by the hike in the prices of petroleum products but increase in fare by Rs 3 from stop to stop is sheer tyranny,” said a group of students. On the other hand Punjab government has not increased fares from 2010 but the wagon drivers are violating blatantly the fares fixed by transport authority. They said that public transport vehicles running between the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad a matter of practice violate their designated routes. The commuters of the twin cities complained of problems because of non-completion of the routes by the public transport.
