Transport fares surge across cities after Rs15 fuel price hike

Transport fares have increased across multiple categories following a Rs15 rise in petroleum prices, with operators implementing widespread adjustments affecting commuters, students and goods transport services.

The latest revisions include a 7% increase in public transport fares and a 10% hike in goods transport and loader vehicle charges within city limits, according to transport operators.

Urban and intra-city travel has been directly impacted. Stop-to-stop public transport fares have been raised to Rs50, while Bykea motorcycle ride-hailing fares have increased from Rs200 to Rs300 per trip.

Intercity and suburban routes have also seen upward adjustments. Fares to nearby localities including Kachehri, Morgah, Rawat and Pirwadhai have been fixed at Rs80, while travel between Rawalpindi and Islamabad now stands at Rs100.

Additional transport modes have followed suit, with Chingchi rickshaws, Suzuki pickups and wagons also increasing fares. Monthly pick-and-drop services for students and working women have risen by Rs1,000 to Rs1,200.

The fare hikes have begun feeding into broader price pressures, with transport-linked increases pushing up food and essential commodity prices. In several cases, disputes between passengers and conductors over revised fares have also been reported.

Transport Federation patron-in-chief Haji Zahoor Arain said frequent changes in petroleum prices were creating instability for both operators and commuters. He called for a fixed monthly pricing mechanism for petrol and diesel instead of weekly revisions, arguing that constant fluctuations were unfair to the public.

Separately, Taxi and Rickshaw Union Secretary Malik Mustafa said fare increases were unavoidable given rising fuel costs. He noted that the transport sector was already under pressure from sharp increases in vehicle prices, spare parts, tyres and fines, which he said had risen by up to 500% over recent years.

He criticised the weekly fuel pricing mechanism, saying repeated increases and reductions created uncertainty for operators. Transport representatives have urged the government to introduce a stable monthly petroleum pricing policy to prevent recurring fare shocks.