KARACHI (Kashmir English): The surge in fuel costs has triggered an announcement for increased passenger fares, which led to industry stakeholders expressing their strong opposition to these changes.
The Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has declared an increase in freight charges because of the unprecedented surge in petroleum prices. Alliance President Malik Shehzad delivered strong criticism against the government’s decision because he believed the action would create nationwide inflation, which would negatively impact both businesses and consumers.
The Karachi transport sector showed strong opposition to the situation. Malik Shahzad, President of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, announced that his organization would raise freight charges by 60 percent because of increasing costs, which resulted from the fuel price increase.
He explained that fuel prices keep rising while government policies, which he considers incorrect, drive millions of workers into unemployment. Malik Shehzad issued a warning that all transport operations would cease if the authorities refused to change their decisions.
The Pakistan Public Transport Owners Association organized an emergency meeting to evaluate the situation that developed after diesel prices experienced a substantial increase.
The association expressed concern that simply increasing fares in proportion to fuel costs is not a viable solution. The association issued a statement that declared that the government should tell transporters to stop all operations because the current conditions of their business operations have become more challenging to maintain.
The developments come after the government announced one of the largest increases in fuel prices in the country’s history. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and the finance minister both confirmed during a joint press conference that petrol prices had increased.
New Petrol Prices in Pakistan
The federal government has announced a massive increase in the rates of petroleum products, bringing the petrol price to Rs458.40 per litre, the highest-ever in history.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik made this announcement during a press conference alongside Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The Petroleum Minister said that the government has hiked petroleum products prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict and rising global energy costs.
Addressing a press conference, Malik said the price of petrol was being hiked to Rs458.40 per litre and that of high-speed diesel to Rs520.35 per litre.
“The new petrol price has been fixed at Rs458.40 per litre, marking a rise of Rs137.23 per litre. Diesel will now cost Rs520.35 per litre, up by Rs184.49 per litre,” the minister said.
