Local transport fares in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have not changed despite a fifth consecutive cut in petrol and diesel prices, while operators running inter-city services from Rawalpindi have lowered their fares by between Rs50 and Rs1,000.

In the latest reduction, petrol was cut by Rs6.59 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs4.25 per litre. The revised rates, petrol at Rs346 per litre and diesel at Rs378 per litre, are fixed for the period from 7 to 10 November.

The latest cut continues a run of reductions over the past week. Between 31 October and 7 November, petrol fell from Rs377.91 to Rs346 per litre, a drop of Rs31.91, while diesel fell from Rs402.96 to Rs378 per litre, a drop of Rs24.96.

Private operators on local routes in the twin cities have so far kept their fares at the old levels, even though fuel, one of their main costs, has become cheaper. Commuters using wagons and buses for short trips within Rawalpindi and Islamabad are therefore paying the same fares as before the latest round of cuts.

Inter-city travellers have fared better. Operators running inter-district and inter-provincial services from Rawalpindi have passed on part of the saving, with cuts ranging from Rs50 to Rs1,000 depending on the route and the class of service.

Kohistan Express cut its Peshawar ticket from Rs1,200 to Rs1,150 and its executive-class Lahore fare from Rs2,500 to Rs2,400. Fare lists issued in Rawalpindi on 7 November also mentioned discounted rates of Rs1,100 for Peshawar and Rs2,200 for Lahore.

Crystal Lines reduced its Karachi fare from Rs7,600 to Rs7,300 and its Hyderabad fare from Rs7,550 to Rs7,250. Its Sukkur fare fell from Rs6,050 to Rs5,800, Multan from Rs3,500 to Rs3,350, and Rawalakot from Rs1,100 to Rs1,050.

Safe Way Travel made some of the largest cuts. Its executive-class Karachi fare fell from Rs8,000 to Rs7,000, and its sleeper-class Karachi fare from Rs13,000 to Rs12,000. Its executive-class Hyderabad ticket fell from Rs7,500 to Rs6,500, while fares to Khairpur and Sukkur dropped from Rs6,000 to Rs5,000.

Local transport operators said uncertainty over fuel prices was the reason they had not lowered local fares. They said the latest reduction might prove temporary and that they would raise fares again if prices rose within days, leaving them unwilling to revise fare charts for what could be a short-lived change.

The unchanged local fares have been noted more widely. AbbTakk News also reported that bus fares had remained unchanged even as petrol and diesel prices dropped, underlining the gap between falling fuel prices and the fares paid by daily commuters.

The picture comes against a backdrop of continued pressure on household budgets. Short-term inflation reached 12.31 per cent year on year in the week ending 5 November, with higher LPG and perishable food prices among the drivers. For now, the relief from cheaper fuel is reaching inter-city passengers, but not those travelling on local routes in the twin cities.