SWABI, Dec 7: Transporters here have been flouting the district administration’s orders to reduce fares on all routes following substantial cut in CNG price last month.

A chat with public transporters and commuters made it clear that the transporters, especially coach drivers, had been charging unjustified fare from people.

The district administration has ordered reduction of Rs5 in fare from general bus stand, Swabi, to general bus stand, Topi tehsil. On the same route, fare to Baja and Bamkhel from both Swabi and Topi is Rs10.

However, the coach drivers continue to stick to old fare of Rs15 to both the places.

Also, the fare from Swabi to Shewa Adda has been reduced to Rs15 from Rs20, but the transporters continue to charge old fare in violation of the official fare list. Besides, the rickshaw owners have been charging commuters at will.

The commuters said that whenever they informed traffic police about the violation they were asked to submit a written complaint with Swabi police station.

When contacted, district president of public transporters association, Waqif Khan, told this correspondent that the administration should punish the drivers indulging in overcharging. He said that the association had asked the transporters to charge new fares.

“We are against overcharging because we are workers. The administration should take action against anyone indulging in charging undue fare,” he said.

The commuters said that when CNG or petroleum prices were increased the transporters immediately transferred the whole burden to them, but when fares were reduced they showed hesitance to implement them.

They said that the main reason for no action against coach drivers was that these were owned by influential people and high officers. Changaiz Khan, a lawyer, said that the traffic police should take action against transporters indulging in overcharging without any discrimination.