Local rates unchanged while inter-city fares fall by up to Rs1k; transporters cite price uncertainty
G7 countries agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from their reserves over four months. PHOTO: PIXABAY
RAWALPINDI:
Despite a fifth consecutive reduction in petrol and diesel prices, fares of private public transport operating on local routes in Rawalpindi and Islamabad remain unchanged, placing the burden of daily commuting costs on passengers travelling between the twin cities for work, education and labour.
While inter-district and inter-provincial transport operators running services from Rawalpindi to other cities have reduced fares by between Rs50 and Rs1,000, local commuters continue to pay the previous rates.
Local transport operators attribute their reluctance to reduce fares to uncertainty over fuel prices. They maintain that the latest reduction may be temporary and that if fares are lowered now and petrol or diesel prices rise again within days, they will have to increase them once more. For the time being, however, the burden of this uncertainty is being borne by local passengers, whose daily commuting expenses remain unchanged.
A review of petroleum prices shows that between October 31 and November 7, petrol became cheaper by Rs31.91 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs24.96 per litre. During this period, the price of petrol fell from Rs377.91 to Rs346 per litre, while diesel declined from Rs402.96 to Rs378 per litre.
In the latest reduction, petrol prices were cut by Rs6.59 per litre and diesel by Rs4.25 per litre. The revised rates have been fixed for the period from 7 to 10 November.
According to inter-city fare lists issued in Rawalpindi on November 7, Kohistan Express reduced its ticket price from Rawalpindi to Peshawar from Rs1,200 to Rs1,150, while the executive-class fare to Lahore was lowered from Rs2,500 to Rs2,400. The same fare list separately mentions discounted rates of Rs1,100 for Peshawar and Rs2,200 for Lahore.
According to Crystal Lines’ revised fare list, the fare from Rawalpindi to Karachi has been reduced from Rs7,600 to Rs7,300, Hyderabad from Rs7,550 to Rs7,250, and Sukkur from Rs6,050 to Rs5,800. The fare to Multan has been cut from Rs3,500 to Rs3,350, while the ticket price for Rawalakot has fallen from Rs1,100 to Rs1,050.
The most significant reductions have been recorded on Safe Way Travel’s routes to Sindh. The executive-class fare from Rawalpindi to Karachi has been reduced from Rs8,000 to Rs7,000, while the sleeper-class fare has fallen from Rs13,000 to Rs12,000. The executive-class ticket to Hyderabad has been reduced from Rs7,500 to Rs6,500, while fares to Khairpur and Sukkur have dropped from Rs6,000 to Rs5,000.
