Local fares in Pindi unchanged after fuel cut, inter-city fares fall
Local transport fares in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have not changed despite a fifth straight cut in petrol and diesel prices. Inter-city operators from Rawalpindi have cut fares by Rs50 to Rs1,000.
- Petrol is Rs346 and diesel Rs378 per litre, fixed for 7 to 10 November.
- Local fares in Rawalpindi and Islamabad remain unchanged.
- Inter-city fares from Rawalpindi are down by Rs50 to Rs1,000.
Fares on private public transport on local routes in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have stayed the same, even though petrol and diesel prices have been reduced for the fifth time in a row, The Express Tribune reported.
In the latest reduction, petrol was cut by Rs6.59 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs4.25 per litre. The revised rates are fixed for the period from 7 to 10 November.
Between October 31 and November 7, petrol fell from Rs377.91 to Rs346 per litre, a drop of Rs31.91. Diesel fell from Rs402.96 to Rs378 per litre, a drop of Rs24.96.
Operators running inter-district and inter-provincial services from Rawalpindi have lowered fares by between Rs50 and Rs1,000. Kohistan Express cut its Peshawar ticket from Rs1,200 to Rs1,150 and its executive-class Lahore fare from Rs2,500 to Rs2,400. Fare lists issued in Rawalpindi on November 7 also mention discounted rates of Rs1,100 for Peshawar and Rs2,200 for Lahore.
Crystal Lines reduced its Karachi fare from Rs7,600 to Rs7,300 and its Hyderabad fare from Rs7,550 to Rs7,250. Its Sukkur fare fell from Rs6,050 to Rs5,800, Multan from Rs3,500 to Rs3,350, and Rawalakot from Rs1,100 to Rs1,050.
Safe Way Travel cut its executive-class Karachi fare from Rs8,000 to Rs7,000 and its sleeper-class Karachi fare from Rs13,000 to Rs12,000. Its executive-class Hyderabad ticket fell from Rs7,500 to Rs6,500, and fares to Khairpur and Sukkur from Rs6,000 to Rs5,000.
Local transport operators said uncertainty over fuel prices is why they have not lowered local fares. They said the latest reduction may be temporary and that they would raise fares again if prices rose within days.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 6 November that short-term inflation reached 12.31 percent year on year in the week ending November 5, with higher LPG and perishable food prices driving the rise.
Why it matters
Commuters in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have so far seen no relief on local routes, since operators say they are waiting for fuel prices to settle. Travellers on inter-city routes from Rawalpindi are paying Rs50 to Rs1,000 less, for example Rs1,000 less on a sleeper-class Karachi ticket. The revised fuel rates apply only from 7 to 10 November.
