POKHARA: Kaski Traffic Police has intensified action against public vehicles that are fleecing passengers in the name of short supply of petroleum products in the country of late. DPO initiated such action after vehicle operators were found fleecing passengers on the ground that they had to manage fuel at an exorbitant price owing to acute shortage of fuel. More than Rs 48,000, overcharged by the vehicle owners on different routes from Pokhara, was returned to passengers in the past three days. Inspector Shyamu Aryal, Chief of DTPO Kaski, said a fine of Rs 1,000 was levied on each of such vehicle operator. “We started the checking due to the growing number of complaints of passengers being cheated,” said Aryal. He said some transport entrepreneur committees had increased the fare unofficially.