May 16, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 15: The Sindh Local Goods Transport Company Owners Association of Hyderabad on Thursday threatened to observe complete strike tentatively on May 17, if the government did not allow them to raise fare and provide them protection on highways.

The office-bearers of the association, Ali Zaman Khan and Nazar Mohammad said at a news conference at the press club that skyrocketing prices of fuel, tyres and spare parts had hit the goods transport companies in the same way as it had affected other sections of society.

They pointed out that the railways had raised fare by 15 per cent but the transport companies had not increased fare. If the fare was not increased, the transport companies would become bankrupt and be forced to resort to strike, they warned.

They said that in addition to price hike and other problems the bandits looted away goods laden trucks on the highways and police harassed the drivers. Under the very nose of highway police, goods valued at millions of rupees were stolen from the moving trucks for which the truck owners had to pay to the goods owners, they complained.