PESHAWAR: Reacting to the increase in various taxes, including toll tax, various unions of transporters of Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad have announced a wheel-jam strike and blockade of the motorway at different places in the limits of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 16.

This was announced by Public Transport Owners Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Khan Zaman Afridi following a decision taken at a joint meeting here on Wednesday.

Talking to mediapersons later, Mr Afridi said that National Highway Authority had adopted discriminatory policy against transporters, saying that the passenger coaches were charged Rs350 in Punjab while the same vehicles were charged Rs550 when they entered in the limits of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said three months ago the toll tax was Rs330 which was increased twice during the last four months to Rs550. Besides, he said the tax for 29-seater and 15-seater coaches was the same. He also condemned the increase in vehicle fitness annual fee from Rs1,600 to Rs1,700 and route permit fee from Rs3,400 to Rs3,700.

Mr Afridi said the transporters had already apprised the NHA high-ups of their problems, but to no avail despite assurances. “At least 2,200 passenger vehicles would be part of the wheel-jam strike,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2018