Karachi transporters postpone strike for three days

KARACHI: The Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) has postponed Monday’s public transport strike for three days, after the assurance by the provincial Minister Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujrah about issuing notification of increase in bus fares by two rupees.

President KTI Irshad Husain Bukhari told this news agency that Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujrah rang him and assured that Sindh government would issue the notification about increasing public transport fares on April 11, 2011.

Bukhari said that after the assurance by the minister the KTI decided to postpone transport strike call scheduled on 11th April for three days. ”The minister had sought one-day time but we are giving them three days.

He said that if the government did not issue notification by 14th April, then transporters would go on strike.

Meanwhile, President Anjuman-e-Ettehad Bus Malikan Karachi (AEBMK) Mohammad Ashraf Banglori, who had also supported strike call for Monday, told that due to increase in price of petroleum products, the transporters could not afford to operate their vehicles.

He demanded the government to fix fare schedule in five to seven stages for providing facilities to the commuters. He also demanded government should issue the notification for increase in public transport fares by two rupees immediately.

Earlier, Sindh Minister for Transport Akhter Jadoon had assured to the transporters that the summary of increasing public transport fares by two rupees has sent to the Sindh Law Department for vetting. (PPI)