The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has raised fares on CNG buses running under CDGK by 25 percent, while the prices on CNG remain unchanged. Sources told Business Recorder on Monday, that the CDGK has implemented an addition of Rs 3 on Rs 12 ticket and Rs 2 on Rs 15 ticket, increasing it to Rs 15 and Rs 17 respectively that is an increase of 25 and 13 percent respectively, increasing burden on the masses already strained by undue taxes.
When contacted concerned authorities at CDGK Transport Department, they told that the department was facing shortage of funds that forced the department to hike the CNG bus fares. However they said that the current fares charged were comparably low to other buses fares run by the City Government.
They told that the CNG Buses were running under Public Private Partnership, while the contractors were making money, whereas the department runs short of funds. They told that the revenue generated from the increase would be utilised to initiate other projects.
They told that during the tenure of Nazim Naimatullah a project of 100 buses did not come on road due to non-receive of markup to the District Government by the contractors. They told that at present the CDGK possess a fleet of 75 CNG buses, while 67 are on road and the remaining 8 are undergoing repair. They told that there are 3 CNG gas stations for the buses and more than 170 operators working under 3 shifts. Authorities told that a further 75 CNG Buses was suppose to arrive in Karachi, but were not so due to the shortage of funds faced by the District Government.