Goods transporters have raised their fares by 20 percent following the federal government’s recent hike in petroleum prices.
The All Pakistan Goods Transporters Association’s president, Nabeel Mehmood, explained that the fare increase is also a response to the National Highway Authority’s ongoing construction of new toll plazas along the National Highway, which has added to their operational costs.
Mehmood further noted that hefty fines from motorway police have compounded the financial strain on transporters. As a result, the cost to move a single container from Lahore to Karachi has jumped from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 120,000.
Similarly, the fare for Lahore to Peshawar has risen from Rs80,000 to Rs96,000, and from Lahore to Rawalpindi, the rate has gone up from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 72,000.
Other routes have seen similar increases: transporting a container from Karachi to Lahore now costs Rs. 350,000, up from Rs. 300,000.
The charge for Karachi to Peshawar has climbed from Rs400,000 to Rs. 500,000, while Karachi to Rawalpindi now stands at Rs. 500,000, compared to the previous Rs. 400,000.
Mehmood added that if the government halts the construction of new toll plazas, there may be room to reconsider and possibly reduce the increased fares.
