The Sindh government has announced a targeted public transport subsidy programme to stabilize fares.
Senior Sindh Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said the government has finalized the program to provide relief to the public and keep transport fares stable.
In a statement, he said the transport sector was under severe pressure due to an unprecedented increase in petrol and diesel prices. A “targeted fuel differential subsidy” has been introduced to prevent any additional burden on the public. Under the scheme, monthly financial assistance will be provided to transporters. In return, transporters will be required not to increase fares and to comply with government regulations.
He added that for intra-city transport, buses, minibuses, and coaches will receive a subsidy of up to Rs 240,000 per month, while wagons will receive Rs 230,000 and Suzuki pickups up to Rs 60,000. For inter-city transport, buses will receive up to Rs 1.2 million per month depending on the route, while wagons will receive between Rs 180,000 and Rs 750,000 depending on distance.
The program will apply to more than 9,000 intra-city and 1,100 inter-city vehicles. Around 57 million passengers are expected to benefit each month. The total monthly subsidy will be approximately Rs 2.2 billion, with an average relief of Rs 38 per passenger.
He said a fully digital, app-based system has been introduced to ensure transparency. Through the digital app-based system, registration, verification and payments will be done directly through Sindh Bank. The digital app-based system will be linked to the data of Excise, RTA and PTA. Regular inspections and passenger feedback will also be included for effective monitoring of the scheme so that the quality of service can be improved.
He added that the initiative will not only stabilize fares but also reduce the financial burden on citizens and discourage unnecessary use of private vehicles. To ensure maximum registration, office working hours have been extended until April 15. A fuel subsidy of Rs 2,000 will also be provided to every motorcycle owner registered with Excise.