Major city arteries blocked amid transporters protest

City witnessed massive gridlocks owing to protests as a large number of goods transporters and farmers staged protests in different areas of the metropolis in favour of their demands on Tuesday.

Representatives of goods transport association and truck drivers staged their protest at Babu Sabu interchange against recent increase in petroleum products prices, traffic police chalans and robbers on roads. They asked the government to immediately withdraw increase in petroleum products’ prices as it was badly hurting their businesses.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a truck driver Qasim Khan said business activity remained sluggish during the whole last year. Now the government has jacked up petroleum products rates which are again a cause of concern for the transport sector.

“Our customers, especially business industry, have refused to increase carriage rates on the pretext of an economic slowdown in the aftermath of coronavirus pandemic. In this situation, an increase of even a single paisa in fuel price badly affects the transport sector,” he underlined.

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Similar complaints were made by several other goods transporters. They also demanded of the government to give them concessions in challans as it gave incentives to the industry and other sectors of the economy.

On the other hand, a large number of farmers took to the streets on their tractors to register their protest against the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. Farmers blocked Shahdara Chowk and demanded the government to shelve the project as it would snatch their livelihood.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2021.