ISLAMABAD – Burgeoning taxi fares have become a big problem for the masses in the capital due to the shortage of proper local transport in twin cities Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
People are using taxi a as a substitute source of travelling to get their destinations. Taxi drivers are approximately charging 25 rupees per kilometer in normal situations.
However, if CNG is not available so they charge according to there own will. There is no any meter system in all taxis of twin cities and fare chart is not available also.
Passenger expresses of the view that taxi drivers charge the fare of patrol however, almost all taxi vehicles are converted to CNG and usually at nights taxi drivers charge double fare to the commuters. Saima, a passenger said that female have to face a lot of problems while bargaining to taxi drivers and only front seats are available for ladies in public transport.
Ali Akbar taxi driver talking to APP, maintenance charges are increased a lot and CNG is not available in twin cities almost for three and four days and if it is available so they have to wait for a long time in ques.
INP adds: Transporters have started charging inflated fares on the routes from Rawalpindi to Kamra, Gondal and Attock.
The commuters expressed grave concerns over the issue, saying that the transporters were not following the fare list devised and approved by the Rawalpindi Transport Authority (RTA) and had increased the fares on their own.
They said that the concerned authorities were playing the role of silent spectators, while many incidents of fights between the transporters and commuters had occurred on the issue.
They further said that fare from Rawalpindi to Kamra was Rs90 per head but the transporters were charging Rs120 per head. Moreover, the drivers and conductors overload their vehicles but neither traffic police nor the district administration authorities check it.
A driver of a public transport vehicle plying on Rawalpindi-Attock route, when asked about the fares, said that they have been using petrol for last many days as CNG was unavailable, therefore they have to overcharge.
The commuters demanded the high-ups of the RTA, the district administration and traffic police to take notice of the issue and order strict action against the transporters involved in over-charging and over-loading.