Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the provincial authorities to file their respective comments on a petition seeking enforcement of reduced transport fares.

Headed by Justice Munib Akhtar a division bench was hearing the petition filed by Abdul Hakim Quaid who had taken Sindh chief secretary, the provincial secretaries of home and transport department, Karachi commissioner and the secretary of Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to the court over their failure to implement the notification regarding reduced bus fares.

The petitioner, who is a resident of North Karachi, said he usually travels in mini bus, coach and pays fare which ranges from Rs16 to Rs20. The federal government has significantly slashed the prices of petroleum products from 2015 to 2016 and subsequently reduced transport fares.

On the directives of the provincial transport department, the RTA had issued notification to reduce fares from 7 percent to 12 percent, he said. Nevertheless, some transporters did not reduce fares and are charging the same amount, he added.

The petitioner through his counsel Khurram Lakhani submitted that 90 percent of public transport owners had already converted their vehicles to CNG yet they charge fares are according to the prices of diesel and petrol.

He told the judges that a notification was also issued on March 02 for enforcement of reduced bus fares and to pass on benefits to the public but this notification also awaits implementation.

Transporters also charge additional fare of Rs 6 per passenger which puts extra burden on the people living in penury. He complained to the judges that the RTA had completely failed to enforce the notification.

He, therefore, requested the court to issue directives for the authorities to strictly implement the notification and ensure that transporters charge reduced fares.