Rs551,000 refunded to passengers in Karachi as action against excessive bus fares continues

Crackdown on operators of inter-city buses overcharging passengers on the occasion of Eidul Fitr continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the transport department, the action is being carried out on directives of Sindh Transport and Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.

In this regard, Sindh Transport Secretary Abdul Haleem Shaikh directed officers to take strict action against transporters charging illegal high fares from passengers. He said complaints were being received from all over Sindh regarding excessive fares and ordered that the campaign against overcharging transporters be accelerated.

Separate teams of the transport department have been formed for different areas of Karachi that are engaged in campaigns in the morning and night shifts. A total of 289 passenger carriers in Karachi were checked on Wednesday night and throughout the day on Thursday and Rs551,000 that had been excessively charged by transporters were returned to passengers.

The District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Jamshoro with coordination of the motorway police confiscated the documents of two passenger coaches in action on the Indus Highway. The DRTA Jamshoro also recommended the cancellation of the route permits of the coaches. A total of Rs267,000 was refunded to passengers in Jamshoro.

In Shaheed Benazirabad, the transport department officers checked 30 vehicles along with the motorway police. As many as nine vehicles were caught charging excess fares from passengers and a fine of Rs8,000 was imposed on them. Officials also refunded Rs10,000 to passengers in Shaheed Benazirabad.

In Sukkur, a penalty of Rs5,800 was imposed on transporters for violation of the existing fare structure. Passengers were refunded Rs12,000 near Rohri on the Sukkur-Multan Motorway. Similarly, transport department officials checked 25 vehicles in Thatta and passengers were refunded Rs 7,500.

The DRTA Shikarpur fined transporters Rs5,000 for charging excess fares and refunded Rs 4,300 to passengers. A total of 40 vehicles were checked in Larkana and a fine of Rs22,000 was imposed on complaints of excess fare with passengers refunded Rs16,600.

In Badin, transport department officials imposed a fine of Rs7,000 on transporters and refunded Rs11,500 to passengers. The action against excessive fare collection also continued in Mithi, Sanghar and other districts. The campaign will continue during the Eid holidays and the leaves of the officers and lower staff of the transport department have been cancelled for implementing the government-fixed transport fares.