RAWALPINDI: For the first time the city traffic police have come up with a plan to check transporters fleecing passengers leaving for their hometowns to celebrate Eidul Fitr.

They established ‘complaint cells’ at the inter-city bus terminals on Wednesday to book transporters found overcharging from passengers.

They also warned the bus stand owners that if they did not desist from this practice they would be booked on charges of extortion.

The police have asked the secretary, Regional Transport Authority, to deploy its staff at the cells to help them implement official fares.

The city traffic officer, Shoaib Khuram Janbaz, told Dawn that the police would impound the bus for three days if its staff continued fleecing the passengers.

The CTO has also called a meeting of the bus stand owners at his office on Thursday to officially intimate them about his decision.

To a question that some buses which pick up passengers from outside the bus terminals, he said passengers could lodge a complaint on the helpline numbers 1915, 051-9272616 and 051-9272839.

In addition to the district police personnel, he said traffic wardens had been deployed at the complaint cells.

For public awareness, banners inscribed with traffic police helpline numbers have also been displayed at the bus terminals.

Earlier on Monday, the Regional Transport Authority formed three mobile teams to check the fares of inter-city transport service on the eve of Eidul Fitr.

The three-member mobile team of RTA comprises traffic warden, police personnel and an official of the RTA.

On the other hand, the City Traffic Police have imposed a ban on issuing tickets (fine) on minor traffic violations till Eidul Fitr.

However, those involved in serious traffic violations will be treated according to the law.

Traffic wardens will remain on duty until the markets and shops were not closed during Eid days.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2014