ISLAMABAD: Taking advantage of current petrol shortage, public transport particularly the taxi drivers are overcharging from commuters of Rawalpindi and Islamabad adding to their miseries.
Public transport which is already short on all routes and people have to wait for hours at bus stops, have no other option to pay fares of their demand to reach their destinations.
Rawalpindi Transport Authority has announced a new fare list after massive reduction in petrol prices but transporters are not ready to follow the new list, even charging almost double saying, "We have to wait for hours in queues to get petrol so extra fare is our right".
Asad Khan, who travels daily from Committee Chowk to Blue Area, where he works at a private firm said, "I have to reach office at 9.00 am and usually leave home at 8.00 am but now it is hard to get transport so come to stop at 7.00 am or even before to reach office in time.
He said now a days it is a gigantic task to get seat in a van as they are already filled and conductors are not willing to board long route passengers.
"I have to take van up to Faizabad and then get another van for Poly Clinic Stop from where I walk to my office at Blue Area", he said, adding, "for last one week I am paying double fare up to Faizabad and then to the next stop and same is the practice in evening".
All my office colleagues narrate same tales after reaching office and our budget is badly affecting as the salaries are the same but the transport expenses are almost double.
Nayab Ramzan who board a taxi from Islamabad Airport to Fauji Foundation said, the taxi driver charged Rs. 500 which is double then normal days. She said when she argue on fare, the taxi driver said, our working hours are now reduced because three to four hours waste daily at petrol pump long queues.
Tanveer Gul, a van driver at Aabpara stop said, "Petrol pumps are selling petrol on higher rates so how can we bear our expenses".
He said not only fuel, they have to bear vehicles maintenance expenses so it is not possible to implement new fares.
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