Goods transporters halt port operations after hike in fuel prices

KARACHI: Supply of raw materials to industries might get affected nationwide as goods transporters have halted their operations, demanding a hike in fares following a massive increase of Rs60 in fuel prices in a week, ARY NEWS reported.

The Karachi Goods Transporters Association announced that they have halted their operations to carry raw materials from Karachi Port Trust and Bin Qasim Port. The goods transporters have already hiked their fares by 30 percent when fuel prices were jacked up by Rs30n last week.

“We have summoned our meeting today to decide on hike in fares,” Rana Saleem, the head of the association said and said that a Rs60 increase in fuel prices within a week is unacceptable and could lead to another hike in fares by Rs30 percent.

He hoped that the traders would cooperate with them.

Meanwhile, sources said that in case of a hike in transport fares by 30 percent, the prices of essential items, groceries, and milk go up.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government has increased the prices of petroleum products by Rs30 per litre, with the hike set to go into effect from Friday (today).

The development was announced by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. After the hike, the price of petrol will be at Rs209.86, diesel at Rs204.15, and kerosene oil at Rs181.56.

It is pertinent to note here that this is the second such increase within a span of two weeks as the coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) raised the price of petrol by Rs30 per litre on May 26, the biggest increase in fuel price in the country’s history.