ISLAMABAD: Representatives of civil society, students and female passengers on Wednesday called on the authorities to take stern action against the increase in public transport fares. They demanded that the authorities concerned should consider their real demand and start an effective service. In the Twin Cities, rising transport fares on a daily basis are causing problems for many women and students. Talking to APP, a passenger, Tahrim Fatima said that the fare has become too high which she cannot afford in her meager salary. “There is a dire need to start a safer, cheaper and more convenient transport service, especially for working women,” she said. She said that only two seats were reserved for women in public transport which were not enough for a large number of working women. General Secretary Rawalpindi Taxi Union Mustafa Khan said that after the record increase in prices of petroleum products, taxi and rickshaw drivers would suffer huge losses if they adhered to the existing fares. He said that due to a shortage of supply the demand for passengers has increased so they have to increase fares to meet the demand of passengers. “We set up a mechanism for check and balance in private taxi association fares,” he said.