ISLAMABAD-Regional Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday launched a grand operation and warned the transporters against
overcharging public transport fares from the people going to their hometowns to celebrate Eidul Azha with their families.
Talking to APP, Secretary RTA, Mehar Ghulam Abbas said that RTA has launched a special operation and only fines would not be imposed on the violators rather their vehicles would also be impounded.
He said, it was common feature that with the coming of Eid people go to their hometowns to celebrate the festival with their loved ones. People from abroad as well as major cities make it a point to be home with their kith and kin for the festivities. However, the transporters have a habit of fleecing the home bound citizens by charging exorbitant fares.
He said, stern action would be taken against transporters found overcharging and overloading the passengers. The staff concerned have been directed to check overcharging and overloading of the passengers in buses and vans specially before Eidul Azha.
The checking would be carried out randomly at different places including Pirwadhai, Peshawar Road and G T Road as the RTA has formed special squads to check overcharging by the transporters. Strict action would be taken on the spot and excess fares would also be returned to the passengers.
To a question he said that a meeting in this regard was arranged and the transporters had been directed to display the fare charts at prominent places at the bus and van stands.
The transporters had also been warned of strict action against overcharging and overloading with punitive measures would be placed at different locations.
He urged the commuters to cooperate with the authorities concerned and inform on RTA's UAN Number 0800-02345 or on the complaint number 051-9270011 during 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. if any transporter charges extra fare or misbehaves with them.
He said that special squads have been deployed to conduct raids to check overcharging and overloading to facilitate the commuters moving to their native towns to celebrate Eid with their families.