Disabled people to pay half fares throughout Pakistan

Friday, July 24, 2009
By Mehtab Haider

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved to grant 50 per cent concession in fares in all modes of travel, air, rail or road, for disabled persons and the concession would be implemented within the next three months.

“The implementation mechanism is under consideration at the moment as 50 per cent concession in fares for disabled will be effective both in public as well as private sector transport. “We are devising a strategy for implementing it on private transport by giving them some kind of subsidy,” Federal Secretary of Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Imtiaz Kazi said while talking to reporters after launch of ‘Khuddar Pakistan’ Scheme for disabled persons by Telenor here on Thursday.

Earlier, in his address at the ceremony for disabled persons, the federal secretary said that the cabinet also approved insurance schemes, micro-credit scheme and concessions in fares of air, rail and roads by 50 per cent for disabled persons.

He also said that the government was going to launch special Identity Cards (ID) cards on the basis of which various incentives and packages would be granted to special people.

Date: July 24, 2009