Chitral-Dir route: Drivers punished for overcharging

CHITRAL, March 11: The police and the district administration have launched a crackdown on transporters overcharging passengers on the Chitral-Dir route. A police team led by ASI Aamaluddin of Drosh police station and SI Abdul Hafeez of the traffic police blocked the road at Drosh and inquired from teh passengers about the fares charged by the transporters. On complaints of the passengers, the police issued tickets to the drivers and asked them to return the extra fares to the passengers. The official fare from Dir to Chitral and back has been fixed at Rs500 but transporters were charging Rs600 to 1,500 from each passenger. Police told chitraltoday.net that they returned Rs30,000 to passengers in a single day. Social and political circles of Chitral have hailed the step taken by the district administration and the Chitral police. Meanwhile, a number of transporters complained about the poor condition of road near Lawari tunnel. They said due to the dilapidated condition of the road with big ditches in the middle they were facing great problems. The drivers told this scribe that last year the access road to Lowari Tunnel was levelled and cleared by army.—GH Farooqui]]>