FAISALABAD: Rickshaw drivers staged a demonstration against traffic police on Friday for allegedly imposing heavy fines over minor mistakes.

The protesters blocked traffic by parking their rickshaws near main Gumti Chowk and shouted slogans against the traffic police and ‘objectionable behaviour’ of wardens. They also besieged the Rail Bazaar Police Station and demanded action against the wardens. They also misbehaved with a warden and damaged the windscreen of a motorcycle rickshaw whose driver tried to cross the barrier.

A woman joined the protest and sat on the motorcycle of a warden. She forced him to take her to the police station so she could lodge a complaint against him. The warden drove her to the Rail Bazaar Police Station.

Talking to reporters, rickshaw drivers claimed traffic wardens were imposing heavy fines daily only to meet their ‘targets’. They claimed a number of times wardens fined them without any reason. They also said wardens accommodated drivers and ignored mistakes when they had no pressure from their bosses, which was rare.

Muhammad Afzal, a protester, said owing to the surging prices of daily commodities and price hike, people did not prefer travelling in rickshaws. They often bargained with drivers to get another passenger on the way. This way, he said, passengers managed to reach their destinations by paying low fares.

This approach was lowering earnings of drivers and heavy fines were worsening their financial conditions, he added. He further said not finding any other way to seek relief they came out on roads against the wardens.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2015

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