960429

KPT raises transportation

charges by Rs 200

MUZAFFAR QURESHI

KARACHI: Tranporters of Goods Association of Karachi Port Trust has increased transportation charges by Rs 200 per trip without giving any explanation for the raise.

This was revealed by President of Karachi Customs Agents Group, Sultan Mahmood in a letter to the Traffic Manager, Karachi Port Trust.

The transporters, who carry goods to and from the port the godowns or factory premises, are licensed by the KPT.

The transporters of Goods Association notified the Customs agents in a letter in the first week of April and suggested that the increase would come into effect from the first week of May, 1996.

According to Sultan Mahmood, the Customs Agents Group asked the transporters association to provide the list of existing transportation rates on which the increase would be based, but they refused to provide the rates.

He said that in view of the growing resentment among the Customs agents over the exorbitant raise in charges, the transporters were invited to the Group's office for discussions but every time they excused themselves on the ground that they were busy due to rush of work. Finally after much persuasion, the Customs Agents Group chief continued, the transporters visited the Group's office on May 18, 1996 but their attitude was so negative that the meeting remained inconclusive.

Sultan Mahmood requested the KPT Traffic Manager to intervene before the situation took an ugly turn because the Customs agents greatly resent the exorbitant and unjustified raise in transportation charges.

Sultan Mahmood told Business Recorder that normally the KPT-licensed transporters charged Rs 200 per five tons but earn Rs 1,000 per trip because each truck carries 25 tons of goods for a single trip. There was no justification for further raising the charges as trucks lifited other goods in the same trip paid for by the importer.