After the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products, transporters across the country have shown strong reaction and have announced a twenty percent increase in freight vehicle fares, due to which there is a fear of further increase in the prices of essential commodities and various commercial goods.
Transporters’ leaders say that the rising fuel prices have caused an extraordinary increase in their expenses, because of which the increase in fares has become unavoidable.
President of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, Malik Shehzad Awan, while giving a strong reaction in this regard, said that during the last two months the price of diesel has increased by seventy-eight rupees per litre, while the price of petrol has increased by sixty-eight rupees per litre.
According to him, such a big increase in fuel prices is equivalent to a severe blow for the transport sector because freight vehicles mostly depend on diesel.
He said that when the price of diesel increases, all transportation costs multiply many times, which include vehicle maintenance, spare parts, tyres, and workers’ wages.
According to him, in the current situation it has become impossible for transporters to continue working on the old fares; therefore, a twenty percent increase in freight vehicle fares is being implemented across the country.
Malik Shehzad Awan said that if the government has increased the prices of petroleum products due to any economic compulsion, then it should reduce toll tax and other government taxes to provide relief to transporters.
He said that if some reduction in taxes is made, the burden on transporters can be reduced to some extent and business activities can also get support.
He further said that despite the country’s fragile economic situation, transporters are continuing the transportation of import and export goods across the country along with sustaining industrial and commercial activities.
According to him, if the wheel of transport stops, its impact will directly fall on industry, trade, and the everyday life of ordinary citizens.
The president of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance said that the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products affects not only transporters but the entire country’s economy.
He warned that when fuel becomes expensive, transport fares increase and as a result the prices of food items and other essential goods also rise, which gives birth to a new wave of inflation.
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