LAHORE, Oct 15: A large number of students of the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines, damaged some 15 buses of franchised bus operators on the Lower Mall here on Tuesday.

The students reportedly damaged the buses over the issue of increased fare being demanded by the bus operators. They gathered outside the college at around 11:30am and broke windowpanes and windscreens of 12 buses of Metro New Khan, two of the Premium Bus Service and one of the Daewoo City Bus Service.

The Lower Mall police have registered a case against the protesters. But no arrest had been made till the filing of this report.

The students claimed that the bus operators had thrashed some of their fellows who had refused to give higher fare.

A couple of other incidents, in which students and wagon operators clashed over the fare issue, were also reported from Sharaqpur and Shahdara early this month.

In a press release, the franchised bus operators have condemned the incident. They, however, claimed the students were holding a demonstration against the government decision to privatize the Government Islamia College, Civil Lines.

Daewoo City Bus Service chief executive J.I. Kim, expressing concern over the law and order situation in the city, said the Daewoo was providing quality transport services only for the sake of general public. Such agitation needed to be restrained and confined within peaceful parameters for the continuity of smooth operation of the bus service in future, he said.

New Khan Metro Bus general manager Bashir Husain said such incidents would ultimately hamper smooth operation of the bus service. He demanded that the government should take steps so that such incidents could not happen in future.

Premium Bus Service’s Jamil Ahmad also condemned the unethical behaviour displayed by the demonstrators.