July 25, 2008	Friday	Rajab 21, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 24: The transporters on Thursday observed complete wheel-jam strike across the NWFP against the hike in prices of petroleum products and asked the government to restore the previous rates.

However, the strike was called off at 2pm reportedly on the assurance of NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani. Sarhad Public Transport Legal Action Committee president Haji Ihsanullah said that a 70-member delegation of transporters would meet the governor on Saturday at the Governor House to apprise him of their grievances.

The one-day strike call was given by the Sarhad Public Transport Owners Confederation on July 20 on the occasion of a protest demonstration against the price hike.

The wheel-jam strike was fully supported by some 38 different organisations of transporters who kept their vehicles off the roads and held a rally in the Haji Camp General Bus Stand, which was addressed by transporters’ leaders.

The demonstrators were wearing black bands and holding banners inscribed with their demands which included revision of the fare list both for the local and intercity transport. They were chanting slogans against the increasing prices of petroleum products and other daily-use commodities, and condemned the government for its ‘failure’ to overcome the problem.

The protestors burnt tyres on various roads outside the general bus stand, Lahore bus stand and Peshawar bus terminal, and did not let public transport vehicles leave the stands despite efforts by the police officials. The police arrested some transport operators in the limits of Chamkani, Hashtnagri and Paharipura police stations but they were released on the intervention of the leaders of the transporters.

Haji Ihsanullah and Urban Transport President Haji Jehangir Afridi said that revision of the fare list was duty of the provincial government, but the officials of the provincial government did not bother even to listen to their problems, saying that if their problems were not solved they would restart their protest.

Meanwhile, the transporters in Peshawar on Thursday announced 10 per cent increase in fares from Rs6 to Rs8 for per bus stop in the city.

They said that they were compelled to raise the fares as they had submitted an application to the provincial transport authority for revision of the fare-list but it was reportedly not considered.