KARACHI: The Sindh government on Monday warned of action against a hike in school van fares, providing relief to students amid soaring fuel prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East crisis.
In line with the directions of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, the provincial government issued a circular to all public and private schools in this regard, a PPP-led government spokesperson said.
The provincial government has barred public and private schools from hiking student transport fees, keeping current rates unchanged.
All the schools have been directed to fully comply with the order and to submit complete data on their pick-and-drop services, including details of all vans, to the authorities concerned.
The government had decided to provide facilities to transport operators, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson warned that any violations of the order could result in strict action.
No increase in public transport fares
The development came a day after the CM announced that public transport fares would not be increased across the province, assuring commuters of relief amid rising fuel costs.
Addressing a press conference, CM Shah had said he had made it clear that public transport fares should not be increased in the province, following which the transport department held consultations with various stakeholders.
The move follows a sharp increase in fuel prices, with petrol rising to Rs458.41 per litre after a Rs137.23 hike, and high-speed diesel climbing to Rs520.35 per litre, up by Rs184.49. However, a day later, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reduced the petrol price to Rs378 per litre for a month and slashed the petroleum levy by Rs80 per litre.
The turmoil in the Gulf region has led to a spike in global oil and energy prices, with countries around the world rushing to ration fuel and energy.
Pakistan, ranked in the list of emerging markets “most at risk”, has also rolled out a wide-ranging austerity and fuel conservation plan.
CM Shah, while adding the presser, had expressed satisfaction that transporters had agreed to support the government’s stance, adding that they had decided to charge fares at the same rates as of February 28.
The chief minister had said the government assured transporters that any financial losses incurred would be compensated.
He had announced that registered buses would receive Rs100,000 per vehicle from the provincial government, with additional operational costs also to be covered.
He had noted that the number of government-run buses in Sindh currently stands at 470, while around 11,000 buses operate across the province.
CM Shah had said these measures would provide relief to the public, warning that action would be taken against unregistered transporters if they increased fares. He had urged such operators to register themselves to become eligible for subsidies.
