KARACHI: Pakistanis traveling to their hometowns this week ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday which begins tomorrow, Saturday, faced higher public transport fares after a steep rise in fuel prices, adding to the financial burden on residents already grappling with inflation.
Pakistan raised consumer prices for diesel and petrol about 20 percent last week, citing the higher oil prices caused by the Iran war. The increase, amounting to nearly Rs55 ($0.20) per liter, pushed petrol prices above Rs320 ($1.15) per liter and diesel close to Rs336 ($1.21) per liter.
Transporters across major cities, including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, have passed on the additional fuel costs to passengers, significantly raising intercity and intra-city fares at a time when travel demand peaks before Eid.
“Earlier, the fare was such that we could get by within 1500 rupees ($5.37) (per person). Since the prices of petrol and diesel have increased, the fare is now 2500 rupees ($8.96),” said private company employee, Waqar Ahmed, who was traveling back to his hometown Sukkur.
“I am poor, my salary is 40 thousand rupees. Now, out of this 40 thousand rupees ($143.29), 5 thousand rupees ($17.91) are being spent on this up and down traveling alone,” Ahmed added.
Labourer Jahan Zeb, said the fare to his hometown in the Punjab province rose to 4800 rupees ($17.20) from an earlier fare of 3000 rupees ($10.75).
“Look, I am a poor laborer. Apart from this expense, I have to go further; I have to buy clothes etc for the children. So much money has been spent on fare. I don’t understand what to do next,” Zeb said.
Inflation, which had eased after hitting a record 38 percent in 2023, has accelerated to around 7 percent, pushing up food, rent and utility costs.
“What can a poor person do? He can only cry, he cannot do anything else. Who should he cry in front of? I am a driver. My salary is not enough to afford this. I have a lot of problems,” Saeed Khan, a driver at a private company in Karachi complained.
Transport operators, however, argue that the fare increase is unavoidable due to rising fuel costs.
Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, will be celebrated in Pakistan on Saturday (March 21).
