ISLAMABAD: Transporters in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have threatened to strike against the recent hike in fuel prices without a parallel increase in fare costs, reports Dawn.
The price of diesel was increased from Rs95.83 per litre to Rs98.45 per litre and petrol price from Rs84.51 per litre to Rs88.07 per litre, announced the government.
“If the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) did not issue a revised fare list within two days, the transporters will go on a wheel jam strike in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad,” said United Transport Association Chairman Raja Riaz on Thursday.
If the petrol prices increased by more than Rs 5 per litre, the government-developed formula was that there would be a Rs 2 increase for every two kilometres but that the RTA has not revised its fares even though the petrol prices increased to Rs 88 per litre from Rs 62 per litre since March 2017, he said.
“Under this formula, the public transport fares should be increased from Rs11 per stop to Rs17 per stop,” he added.
RTA Secretary Khalid Yamin Satti has said that new fares would be issued within a few days under the same formula but those transporters who charge more than the current fares till then will have their licences revoked.
Locals have criticised the government for an increase in fare costs.
