Road crisis: Transporters protest over increase in route permit fee, fines

About old vehicles, say govt can purchase them and give new ones

PESHAWAR: Transporters in the city protested against the transport department and blocked roads for more than two hours on Wednesday. The protest was held over the increase in route permit fee, non-renewal of permits of old vehicles and the increasing fines imposed by traffic wardens.

“We are forced to park our vehicles permanently at home,” Subhanullah, a bus driver from Bala, told The Express Tribune. “The government said these buses are old and should not be allowed on the road.” However, he feels the government should purchase their old buses and provide the bus drivers with new vehicles. “We are prepared to cooperate with the government, but they have to facilitate us too.”



The protesting transporters gathered outside Benevolent Fund Board in the city where the transport department’s office is situated.

Led by Public Transport Owners Association (PTOA) President Khan Zaman, the protestors held placards inscribed with slogans against the government and traffic police. PTOA gave the call for protest and directed all vehicle owners, especially bus and wagon drivers to block the major road in the city, Saddar, to press the government for their demands.

Challans decried

The drivers said traffic wardens made it a routine to impose a hefty challan without them violating any major traffic laws. “We have to stop on the road to pick up passengers,” Izat Khan explained, who drives an old wagon that moves from General bus stand to Karkhano Market and is a major source of transportation in the city. “We are greatly affected by traffic wardens’ fines. They keep a 65% commission from each challan, and now the fines have doubled,” Zaman added.

“Tax on route permit has increased from Rs1,400 to Rs3,100, which is unacceptable,” the PTOA president said. “Fine on delay of renewal of route permit has increased from Rs200 to Rs550 per month.” He added by not providing permits to old vehicles — despite the fact that a majority of transport vehicles are old — more than 10,000 people will be jobless.

“In the past, vehicles were permitted to operate for nine years, now that has increased to 15 years but the regional transport authortity refused to accept it,” Zaman said. The longer these vehicles are allowed to stay on the road, the older they are and the more pollution they cause.

Zaman disclosed that they have been in contact with government officials but no one has responded to their pleas. Transporters have warned of a sit-in outside the K-P Assembly building if the issues are not resolved.

The transport director, Manzoor Ahmad, has negotiated with the protestors and assured them that their grievances will be conveyed to higher authority. Regional Transport Authority Secretary Nadeem Asghar has claimed to have conducted negotiations with the transporters on all issues and their grievances will be addressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2016.