LAHORE - On their way back to the City, the commuters again faced the same fate as they did while leaving for their hometowns to celebrate Eid with their families. The transporters have increased the fares for the people coming back to the metropolis from their localities after celebrating Eidul Azha. Almost Rs 100-150 have been increased in fares just after three days of Eid while not a single department of the government has showed courage to take action against the increased fares. The role of District Regional Transport Authority, which is responsible to control the fare, is often vanished on such occasions. It was learnt from the transporters that some top-bosses of the government were allegedly involved in the over-charging business. A girl namely Saima Dewan, coming from Multan, at a local bus terminal near Chowk Yateem Khana, said that she was charged Rs 500 when she left for Multan before Eid, while for Lahore from Multan they (inter-city transport service) charged her Rs 600. She further said that the routine (fixed) fare for this route was Rs 400, but the transporters had allegedly increased the fares despite the fact that not a single penny had been increased in diesel or petrol prices. Another passenger, Umay Kulsoom also made similar complaint, adding that, there is no change in petrol prices, but you will certainly see that the fare for each inter-city route will be revised, and Rs 100-150 will be added to the normal fare. Such practice was also witnessed at other bus terminals and Railway Station as well. The transporters have resorted to over-charging and overloading for earning extra profit, adding to the miseries of passengers, who have no other option except to pay double the fare and travel in poor travelling conditions. It is not happening for the first time, but at every such auspicious occasion the transport companies always try to make quick money. The scene of the arrival of jam-packed buses at the General Bus Stand, Bund Road and Ferozepur Road is worth seeing, as the passenger buses present the look of cargo vehicles. The passengers are pushed into the vehicles beyond the capacity, virtually treating them like animals. The situation is parallel to these bus stands at the Lahore Railway Station as well. Most of the travellers are forced to travel while standing in commuter compartments. The miseries of public are also worse on branch-routes where passengers are seen travelling in luggage compartments and even on the rooftops while wrapping their bodies in warm shawls to save themselves from cold. The transporters are charging extra fare on almost all the routes. A desperate female, exchanging harsh words with a driver and a conductor of a bus at a local bus terminal near Kalma Chowk, said, You are looting the option-less commuters. She told this scribe that the government itself was patronising these transporters otherwise how they could increase the fare according to their wishes.