LAHORE – With bus owners facing a petroleum price hike of around 10 to 13 per cent from April 1, transporters in Punjab have increased intercity fares by 15 percent immediately. Rising fuel prices are once again enhancing the cost of living, while commuting intra-city and intercity is making people pay more as the transport owners have escalated the air-conditioned buses’ fares from Friday. As per the revised fares list, minimum fare for AC coaches has been set from stop to stop as Rs 120. The new fare from Lahore to Faisalabad has been increased from Rs 230 to Rs 280, for Sialkot Rs 250 from Rs 200. For Jhang new fare is now Rs 400 from Rs 320, while fare for Multan from Lahore would be Rs 570 as compared to previous rate of Rs 500.
Likewise the fare for traveling to Islamabad has escalated to Rs 550 from Rs 500 and fare from Lahore to Karachi has been raised to Rs 2100 from Rs 1800. Apart from the AC buses and coaches, non-AC buses and wagons fares have been adjusted between Rs 50 to 250 on different routes. And that has been done without any notification from the regulatory authority, Punjab Transport department. The owners say that the fuel prices were exorbitant and that they were compelled to increasing the fares. President All Pakistan Transport Owners Federation Azam Khan said that the inter-city AC buses and wagon fares have been increased due to the increase in petrol prices and the new fares will take effect at 12pm on Friday. He said with the increase of Rs 10.36 in diesel prices was too much.
On the other hand, General Secretary Punjab Urban Transport Owners Association Arshad Khan Niazi said that the rates on the intra-city routes had not been increased but the new fuel rates would lead them to revise the rates. He said, however, the final decision over the issue would be taken after a meeting of the association within next few days. It is worthy to mention here that Punjab government some years ago had de-regulated the air conditioned coaches rates for intercity traveling and fare fixing was left to thw transporters.
