Rajouri residents demand cut in passenger fares

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, January 30

With a significant cut in fuel prices over the last couple of months, the Rajouri residents are demanding decrease in passenger fares.

People in several parts of the district protested against the authorities concerned and demanded an immediate cut in the passenger fares and freight rates.

The protesters alleged an “unholy nexus” between various public transport operators and the authorities and said despite repeated requests to cut down the fares nothing had been done so far.

Residents of Prori-Gujjaran held a protest demonstration on Thursday and disrupted the traffic for more than two hours.

The protesters raised slogans against the local administration and the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) and alleged that passenger vehicles were “fleecing” commuters by charging “excess fare”.

The agitating residents said they had informed ARTO Shammi Kumar about the matter on several occasions in the past but no action had been initiated in this regard so far.

Over the last few months the petrol and diesel prices have been slashed by Rs 8 to 10 per litre.

“We have decided to hold a mass protest against the authorities concerned,” warned Mohammad Qayoom, adding that the district administration and the ARTO would be responsible for any untoward incident.

Shammi Kumar, meanwhile, said it was not in his hands to increase or decrease the passenger fares and freight rates.

“The state Cabinet is empowered to take a decision in this regard. We only implement the government order. As far as complaints are concerned no one has approached me in writing. If I get any written complaint, it will be forwarded to the higher authorities,” the ARTO told The Tribune.

He further said as far as complaints of charging of excess fare were concerned, the rates fixed for taxis, passenger buses and other public transport differ from each other.

“You cannot compare the fare of a taxi with that of a passenger bus, people don’t understand this,” he said.