ISLAMABAD: Despite the poor condition of their vehicles, Islamabad’s cabbies continue to fleece people in the name of inflation.
While almost every ‘yellow’ cab in town is equipped with a CNG kit yet the commuters have to pay excessive fares as if the cabs were running on petrol.
“There is no check on what’s going on as more and more people suffer at the hands of these drivers,” complained Ahmad Pasha, pointing out that it were not just the cabbies who had been hit by the inflation but also the passengers.
The commuters - the ones hiring cabs or preferring other modes of transport like vans and pick-ups - indeed are at the mercy of the transporters.
The cabbies actually take people, especially those arriving from other stations, for a ride. With no meters installed, it is up to the driver to ask for whatever fare he deems fit.
People who travel regularly by cabs told Daily Times that the fares for even short distances had been considerably increased by the cab drivers. “I used to pay Rs 40 one-way for commuting from F-10 to F-8 about a month ago but now that fare stands at Rs 80,” said Tehmina Khan.
Similarly, a ride from G-8 to I-8 could cost the commuter as much as Rs 120 and heading to the airport could set one back by about Rs 400, or even more. Such are the fleecing tactics of the cabbies that they would ask for fares in foreign currency from those arriving at the airport from abroad.
Every kind of bills – from dollars to euro, and from riyals to dirham would be gladly accepted by the cabbies. “They would demand $50 for Islamabad which might be peanuts for a passenger just landing in from the US but is unethical business practice,” said an airport official, familiar with the cabbies’ form of operation.
The taxi drivers on the other hand claim that they have to pay a good chunk of their daily earnings to the owners. “We have to earn enough each day to be able to pay them and if we don’t do so that means it adds up and we would have to work for longer hours the following day,” said Javed Masih, a cabbie in Islamabad.
The passengers are also not happy with the condition of the cabs. “I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more but only if the vehicle is neat and in a good running state,” said Raza Hassan.
The condition of most of the cabs in town is such that hiring one is often a journey fraught with danger. The front suspension of most vehicles is woefully out of shape, the tyres are worn out and the upholstery too is quite dirty.
However, despite their wobbly condition, the authorities conduct no regular checks to assess the roadworthiness of the vehicles.
The arrival of the radio cabs in recent years may have eased the woes of the passengers somewhat, but the older taxis – despite all their defects – still remain the preferred choice.
