Matador operators continue to overcharge with impunity

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, April 18

Making mockery of the passenger fares fixed by the Motor Vehicles Department, J&K, operators of the private Matadors plying on different routes in the city are charging excessive fares from the passengers.

Cases of overcharging have been reported from those routes where the department has issued less permits.

The government transport is almost negligible in the city. As a result, people mostly rely on private Matadors to reach their destinations. A few years back, the passenger fares were hiked by the government after a strong demand by the transporters’ union, but in spite of that exorbitant fare charging continues with impunity.

“Quarrel/verbal duel of passengers with conductors over fare is a routine affair these days. When the Transport Department has asked these Matadors to display the passenger fare chart then why aren’t they doing so,” said Kamlesh, a passenger on the Parade-Gangyal route, said.

“Rs 5 is fixed for one stop and on some routes the conductors are charging even Rs 10. Rs 5 is not a big amount being charged in excess by Matador operators, but the question is why the authorities are not taking any action against such violators,” he stated.

“On other routes where passenger fare is between Rs 15 and 20, they are charging between Rs 20 and 30 just because there is no check on them by the authorities concerned,” another passenger Tilak on the Satwari-Chatha route said.

When contacted, Ashwani Khajuria, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Jammu, said he did not have any information about excessive fare being charged from passengers by Matador operators in the city. “Fares have already been fixed for the Matadors for different routes, both within Jammu city and its outskirts,” the RTO said.

“If a passenger, irrespective of any route, is charged extra, he should inform the department. We will take strict action against the erring Matador owner. We will soon conduct an inspection of the routes to get a feedback regarding excessive charging of passenger fares,” he added.