Transport, freight fares skyrocket by 65 per cent in Pakistan

A massive surge in petroleum prices has triggered an unprecedented hike in passenger and goods transport fares across Pakistan, with increases ranging from 20 to 65 per cent, Dawn reported.

The sharp rise in costs follows a volatile month where fuel prices and transport charges were adjusted twice.

Khan Zaman Afridi, provincial president of the Public Transport Owners Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stated that the continuous and ‘‘unprecedented rise in fuel prices has severely affected both transporters and commuters alike’’.

Reflecting on the rapid escalation, Afridi noted that while fares rose by 20 per cent in early March, the latest adjustment in April 2026, involving a hike of PKR 137.24 per litre for petrol and PKR 184.49 per litre for diesel, is ‘‘simply unbearable for us."

Following a joint meeting in Peshawar, transport organisations approved a further 25 per cent increase for inter-district and inter-provincial routes, while Dawn highlighted that passenger fares in Punjab have already surged by as much as 65 per cent.

In tandem with passenger transport, the Pakistan Goods Transporters Owners Association has announced a 65 per cent increase in freight charges.

Transporters have expressed frustration that the federal government implemented these changes overnight without consulting stakeholders, a move that frequently leads to disputes between operators and the general public.

Political backlash has been swift, with Awami National Party central president Aimal Wali Khan describing the price hike as a ‘‘shameful and anti-people’’ move.

According to Dawn, the leader argued that current prices are not a direct reflection of the international market but are instead driven by ‘‘taxes, levies and government economic policies’’.

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has also voiced grave concerns, warning that the record-high prices, PKR 458.40 per litre for petrol and PKR 520.35 per litre for high-speed diesel, will dampen industrial activity and exacerbate inflation.

SCCI president Junaid Altaf and other executives termed the decision ‘‘highly unfair’’, urging the government to prioritise the national economy by withdrawing the hike.

Dawn further reported that the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union has highlighted the human cost of the crisis.

Union spokesperson Gohar Ali Gohar stated that the soaring cost of living has pushed ‘‘essential food items beyond the reach of poor workers and the lower middle class’’, forcing many families into a desperate struggle for basic necessities. 

Source: ANI 
-Agencies