GUJRANWALA, June 26: The checking staff of the regional transport authority is allegedly involved in recovering heavy fines from owners of wagons and issuing blank receipts to them.

Owners of wagons have demanded an inquiry into allegations, claiming that the RTA staff is teasing them at the behest of the transport ministry to benefit owners of the franchized buses.

Reports said the ministry has failed to restore route permits of wagons despite the supreme court’s orders. It had cancelled permits of wagons one year ago to make room for franchized buses.

Instead, the ministry has directed the RTA secretary and motor vehicle examiners to impound wagons or impose heavy fines on those running on the franchized route from Kamoki to Wazirabad.

Transport Society Gujranwala wagon owners association president Chaudhry Hamid said at a meeting on Sunday about 860 wagons were running between Gujranwala, Ghakkhar, Wazirabad, Eminabad and Kamoki before the launch of franchised bus service.

The ministry, they said, had cancelled their routes to please owners of the franchised bus owners without making proper arrangements of required buses.

At present, they said about 100 wagons were running between Gujranwala and Ghakkhar, but the RTA staff was recovering heavy fines from them and issuing blank receipts. — Correspondent