Diesel cut brings freight fare relief

The Goods Transport Federation announced a 10 per cent reduction in freight charges, while fares for long-distance routes to nearby

RAWALPINDI: Goods transport and long-distance public transport operators have lowered fares following a Rs32.63-per-litre reduction in diesel prices, offering temporary relief to passengers and businesses.

The Goods Transport Federation announced a 10 per cent reduction in freight charges, while fares for long-distance routes to nearby areas have been cut by 5 per cent.

The fare revision, however, has not extended to all local transport. Taxis, Qingqis and motorbike rickshaws have raised their fares by another 5 per cent after petrol prices increased by Rs3 per litre. The standard stop-to-stop fare remains Rs50.

Freight charges have also been reduced significantly on major routes. The cost of transporting containers and trailers from Karachi to Rawalpindi has fallen by Rs50,000, while charges for containers, trailers and heavy vehicles travelling from Karachi to Peshawar have dropped from Rs800,000 to Rs750,000.

Transport federations said the reduced fares would remain in effect for only 24 hours. They warned that any increase in petroleum prices expected later in the week would result in the fare cuts being withdrawn proportionately.

They further said bookings made by Thursday evening for heavy vehicles, trailers and containers operating on routes including Karachi-Peshawar, Peshawar-Lahore, Karachi and Multan could be revised if fuel prices rise, with additional charges imposed accordingly.