Appeased by govt's platitudes, goods transporters call off strike

Sindh govt issues temporary executive order allowing heavy vehicular traffic in Karachi

KARACHI: The goods transporters' strike came to an end after the government assured them they would be allowed to ply on the city's roads against the orders of the Sindh High Court (SHC).

The transporters went on strike on Monday, May 8, to protest against the restriction imposed by the SHC on the movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi. The transporters said they could not operate their vehicles in Karachi due to the imposition of Section 144 and harassment by the police.

Moreover, confusion continues over the timings approved for the movement of heavy vehicles within the city's jurisdiction. Some transporters believe the Supreme Court (SC) has fixed the timings between 11pm and 6am while others say the SHC imposed a 24-hour ban.



In the wake of the strike, ongoing road construction work in the city came to a halt and there were also reports of medicine shortages and export orders being cancelled. On Wednesday, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Transport Minister Nasir Shah and Agriculture Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal reached the transporters' protest camp for negotiations.

The United Goods Transport and Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance spokesperson Imdad Naqvi told The Express Tribune that the government agreed to issue a temporary executive order, allowing them to ply on roads inside the city limits for three days, because the city's port and business activities came to a standstill, with the country facing billions of rupees of loss due to the strike.

He said the Sindh government vowed to file a review petition in the SC. According to the executive order, he said that 14-, 18- and 22-wheel vehicles would be allowed to ply inside the city through Sharae Pakistan after 11pm till 6am in the morning. Those stuck at the port and needing to exit the city would use the Northern Bypass.



Six- to 10-wheel vehicles with 20-foot-long containers and transport edibles and other essential items would be allowed to travel within the city throughout the day and night. Sunset Boulevard would not be open for such vehicles and to access Korangi Industrial area, Naqvi said that Jinnah Avenue and Malir 15 Road would be used.

Since such a large number of heavy vehicles are stuck at the port, the spokesperson said the associations and traffic police will try to devise a traffic plan that will not hinder the movement of regular traffic within the city.