As fuel prices go up, so do transport fares.

LAHORE -- Following the recent increase in petroleum products' prices, public transporters have jacked up the fares for all intercity routes, The Express Tribune learnt on Monday.

All transport operators have increased their fares for various cities from Lahore by Rs100 to Rs300.

A passenger ticket for air-conditioned bus service for the Lahore-Islamabad route was sold for Rs1,050 to Rs1,100. The fare between the provincial capital and Faisalabad was increased to between Rs550 and Rs650 by the operators. The new fare for Bahawalpur was Rs1,000 to Rs1,050, Multan Rs900 to Rs950 and Peshawar Rs1,050 to Rs1,150. The fare for other intercity routes was also increased.

The manager of an intercity bus terminal, Muhammad Hussain, said the government had increased petroleum products' prices by almost 30%, after which it had become impossible for public transporters to keep their tariffs low. In recent months when the government slashed petroleum products' prices it had cut intercity public transport fares by 20%. 'Since petroleum prices have been increase, we have reversed this reduction,' he added.

Similarly, goods transporters also increased their charges on the pretext of the hike in fuel prices. A representative of a local trucking company, Shahbaz, said that owing to the change in petroleum products' prices and the exchange rate of dollar, the cost of diesel, lubricants and tyres used by the sector had increased, compelling the goods transporters to revise their fares.

On average, the goods transport fares have been increase by 10-15% to manage the increased cost, he maintained.

Passengers, on the other hand, criticised the increase in fuel prices. A citizen, Ashfaq Ahmad, said the prices of crude oil had not returned to their previous level but the government had increased fuel prices substantially. 'It appears that the government is...