LAHORE, May 12: District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood on Thursday announced lifting of ban on the use of liquefied petroleum gas in rickshaws only a week after its imposition after the drivers disrupted the traffic on Lytton Road and surrounding areas during a protest against it. Addressing the rickshaw drivers along with chief minister’s adviser Mian Muhammad Munir after consultations at the chief minister’s house, Mian Amer not only allowed the lifting of ban on use of the LPG in rickshaws but also promised to regulate its trade.

He said the city district government would allow establishment of LPG filling stations to control unauthorized filling after the provincial government approval.

He said the CDG had been constrained to impose a ban on the use of LPG and filling of its cylinders following the death of more than 20 people in Allama Iqbal Town due to an explosion in the basement of a building where LPG cylinders were being filled clandestinely.

He advised the drivers to check the specification of the cylinders being used by them as the low cost cylinder available in the market were unsafe. He advised them to benefit from the chief minister’s CNG Rickshaw Scheme and acquire new rickshaws on instalments against down payment of Rs28,000.

The Nazim reached Lytton Road along with Mian Munir when the drivers blocked traffic on the road and adjoining areas and tried to drive their vehicles to the chief minister’s house to protest against the ban imposed on the use of LPG in rickshaws and its filling and trading on the call of All-Punjab Rickshaw Taxi Unions Federation. Police prevented them from moving towards the chief minister’s house and apprised the Nazim of the situation.

Muttahida Rickshaw Taxi Drivers Union chairman Asghar Khan Mahmand and senior vice-president Ashraf Awan visited the chief minister’s house along with the Nazim and Mian Munir.

Ban on use of LPG in rickshaws was lifted for the second time this year. Punjab chief secretary Kamran Rasool ordered its lifting following protests by drivers against the removal of cylinders from the rickshaws by the CDG.