Commuters get double-jerk on gas holidays

LAHORE Commuters, numbering hundreds of thousands on average everyday, are charged close to 50 per cent extra during the weekly three gas holidays in the city. And there is no distinction of route as the cruelty encompasses both inter-city and intra-city routes, TheNation has learnt. No matter whether or not the vehicles use permissible CNG cylinders, the owners of Hiace and APV vans do not lower their fare come what may. The passengers, on the other side, are so helpless that they have to accept the van owners diktats because the city is facing as acute shortages of public transport these days. Since we have no alternative to being subjugated to a harsh treatment by the vanwalas, so we silently surrender before this money-minting mafia, said one commuter complainingly. But the transporters claim that during the gas holidays, they either operate their vehicles on petrol or LPG, or get CNG at high prices from specific filling stations. (It is also a fact that despite 'strict checking, some filling stations still sell CNG during gas holidays). So the transporters say they charge some extra money to balance their expenditure- and -income sheet. The Hiace vans are being operated on inter-city routes between the distances of 100 km and 130 km, while the APV vans are running on long distances in almost every city of the province and they charge an average 20 rupees and 100 rupees, respectively, higher than the normal fare during the gas holidays. I go to Shaikhupura on daily basis and pay Rs.35 fare, but on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I have to pay Rs.50, which is Rs15 more, said a commuter Muhammad Akram, a government servant. Similarly, the Hiace vans running between Pindi Bhattian and Hafizabad, from Chiniot to Jhang, from Jhang to Toba Tek Singh, from Toba Tek Singh to Chichawatni, from Chichawatni to Burewala, from Burewala to Vehari, from Mianchannu to Khanewal, from Khanewal to Vehari and Multan, from Multan to Shujaabad, Bahawalpur, and almost from every other city, receive at least Rs.20 to Rs.30 extra when the filling stations observe gas holidays in these zones. The APV owners, however, charge at least Rs.100 extra from the hapless commuters during these days thanks to the absence of transport authorities and powerful transporters belonging to the different political parties. An APV vehicle charges Rs.350 when you travel from Lahore to Jhang, but on Mondays, you have to pay Rs.400 and maybe Rs.450 for the same distance. The APV fare from Lahore to Sahiwal, in normal days, is Rs.250 while during the gas holidays, it touches Rs.350 mark. The most interesting aspect is that none of the Hiace van owners has a licence to operate their vehicle on CNG. More interestingly though none of APVs has any route permit. On the other side, the hundreds of Hiace vans plying in Lahore are also taking proper benefit from the situation vis--vis minting the money from the poor- and middle-class commuters on the Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They start charging Rs.15 for stop-to-stop destination, which normally is Rs.10. The severe shortage of public transport on almost every route of the City is the factor which is making passengers more and more helpless before the van mafia.