Government’s silence on rumored passenger fee hike has created a confusion and prompted transporters to overcharge commuters. It is for the Transport Minister to clear the air on passenger transport fee hike and its regulation.
Amid confusion over passenger fee revision the Government doesn’t break its silence and transporters show its unwillingness to give up the demand for revision of the existing passenger fee structure. Grievances are galore that commuters are forced to pay passenger fee at the hike rates amid reports of 18% fee hike by the Fare Revision Committee (FRC). Had the Fare Revision Committee taken any decision on raising the passenger fee the Government would have issued a notification on the fee hikes and the timing for the implementation of such hiked rates. It is for the Government to clear the air on hike in passenger fee and a clarification on this count from none else than the Transporter can satisfy the apprehensions and concerns of the commuters. none else than Transport Minister
However, no formal notification has been . Though MLA Zadibal and National Conference Spokesman Tanvir Sadiq has said that a proposal to hike the passenger fee is under the consideration of the Government but Government is yet to issue a formal order and as such transporters enforcing hiked passenger fees without a formal mandate from the Government are liable for punishment under rules . The authorities henceforth owe an explanation for allowing the transporters to enforce hike in fee without a formal notification from the Government and pushing passengers in a state of deep depression during travelling periods.
- A way out to the ongoing row over passenger fee hike lies in balancing the demands of the transporters and the interests of the commuters. Historical trends show that such hikes often lead to passenger exploitation. As such Government must strictly regulate the final Fare Revision Committee (FRC) recommendations to prevent a conflict between the transporters and the commuters. Immediate intervention is required to bridge the communication gap between authorities and transporters, as unresolved tension threatens to worsen the conflict and further intensify the vulnerability of the commuters across Jammu & Kashmir.”
Though irrefutable fact is that transporters can’t enforce any hike in the existing rate unless and until an order on the hiked rates is not issued by the Government but unfortunately competent authorities don’t initiate any action against the transporters enforcing higher rates without a proper mandate from the competent authority of the transport department. Administrative wisdom demands that Government balances the genuine demands of the transporters with the income standards of the commuters of all economy classes. Morality demands that demands of the transporters and the interests of the commuters are equally priortised in approving and implementing any hike in the existing passenger fees. Since experience of decades have shown that implementation of the passenger fee hikes always becomes a cause of the exploitation of passengers, it is for the Government to block all means of exploitation of the passengers after taking a final decision on the recommendations of the Fare Revision Committee (FRC). A communication gap developing between the Government and transporters over the proposed passenger hike if not addressed immediately will put the commuters at the receiving end and deepen further the growing conflict between the transporters and the commuters.
