July 3, 2002	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 21,1423

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SARGODHA, July 2: Transporters plying buses and wagons on Sargodha-Bhalwal route observed a strike on Tuesday to protest excessive bus-stand charges.

The transporters alleged that the prescribed fee was Rs10 and Rs 15. The contractor, however, demanded more. They said the vehicles owned by the transporters paying Rs50 per vehicle were allowed to leave ahead of others.

Ejaz Husain and Rafaqat Iqbal Gara alleged that the Bhalwal tehsil Nazim had granted the bus stand contract to a favourite who was allowed to collect more than the fees specified in the contract schedule. If the bud stand fee was to be fixed at Rs50 to Rs60, they said, the contract had been granted for peanuts. They offered to pay more to the tehsil municipal administration for the contract.

The transporters are also seeking withdrawal of Clause 10 of the contract which provides that the contractor’s staff is to control entry and exit from the bus stand. They said the strike would continue till the cancellation of contract and withdrawal of Clause 10.

A spokesman for the tehsil Nazim told Dawn the contract had been granted in an open auction. He denied that there had been a lack of transparency in the process. He also denied the allegation of overcharging. If the transporters provided proof of overcharging, he said, the contractor would be proceeded against.

GUJRANWALA: Transporters of Naushera Virkan, Tetley and Sheikhupura observed a complete strike against the imposition of toll by Saddar tehsil, Tetley and Naushera Virkan councils.

Commuters, including women and children, had to brave hot and humid weather as none of the pubic transport vehicle was plying on any route. Transporters also blocked traffic by burning tyres.

Speaking at a press conference, transporters alleged that the Saddar tehsil council had imposed a toll of Rs5 per vehicle per trip at Khiali Adda while the Naushera Virkan tehsil council had imposed Rs7 per vehicle at Tetley on Sheikhupura Road and Naushera Virkan Road. But the contractors and their muscle men had been charging Rs10 per vehicle at Khiali adda, Tetley adda and Naushera Virkan adda. Hence a vehicle owner has to pay thrice the toll on Sheikhupura Road and Naushera Virkan Road.

They demanded that the decision to impose toll by each tehsil council should be taken back. They threatened that they would continue their strike if toll imposed by Saddar and Naushera Virkan tehsil councils was not withdrawn.

SIALKOT: Transporters continued their strike for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in protest against the levy of various tolls by the Sialkot tehsil municipal administration and the Cantonment Board.

In a press release, the Sialkot Transporters Association vowed that the strike would continue till the abolition of such levies.

The TMA has imposed a toll of Rs20 to Rs30 per vehicle per trip, which has perturbed the transporters.

The protesting transporters also demanded at least 50 per cent increase in fares of public transport following the recent increase in POL prices.

According the press release, the talks between the transporters’ representatives and the TMA authorities remained inconclusive on Tuesday.