Four injured in clash over bus parking fee

ISLAMABAD: At least four people were seriously injured when two armed groups of rival transporters clashed over bus parking fee issue at Mandi Mor in Islamabad on Friday.

“We have arrested seven suspects from Sadat Group and Raja Group of transporters,” Sabzi Mandi Police Station SHO Imran Haider told The Express Tribune, adding that police squads had rushed to the spot as soon as the clash began and controlled the situation.

Sattar Shakir, of the Sadat Group, told police that he had acquired rights to a bus terminal located across from the Sector I-11 Panahgah after winning an open auction conducted by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for Rs160 million. Having acquired the mandatory licences, permits and no-objection certificates from the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation and the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) the group started plying vehicles on different routes.

However, Shakir said that the Raja Group — which operates vehicles on the Chirah and Kahuta route — refused to pay charges for using the bus stand, arguing that they do not use the designated terminal. Instead, they maintained that they use an open field to park their buses and pick up passengers outside the bus terminal operated by Sadat Group.

Shakir argued that since he had paid to legally obtain rights to ply the routes and use the terminal, Raja Group must pay the fees. This had created a conflict between the two groups. On Friday, when an employee of Sadat Group demanded that the driver of a bus operated by Raja Group pay the Rs80 terminal fee, things got heated. The two traded verbal barbs which soon descended into a match of fisticuffs.

People from both sides allegedly pulled out guns and started shooting at each other. A coach was also set on fire during the clash.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th, 2020.