PESHAWAR: Transporters here on Thursday observed strike against the motorway police and kept their vehicles off the Peshawar-Islamabad route to lodge their protest over increase in the toll tax.

Led by Muttahida Transport Federation president Noor Mohammad and Sarhad Transport Owners Association president Khan Zaman Afridi, the transporters told mediapersons that motorway police at the Peshawar motorway toll plaza had started overcharging public transport owners in violation of NHA rules.

“For the motorway police there is no difference between a 15-seater hiace and 28-seater coaster as both the vehicles had to pay Rs550 as toll tax from Peshawar to Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” the transporters said and added that the toll tax in Punjab was Rs400, which showed the discriminatory attitude of motorway police with KP transporters.

Mr Afridi said that the transporters had held meetings with the motorways police officials and NHA chairman and they had promised to accept their demands, but they did not keep their commitment despite passage of one year. He said that the strike was suspended for one week on the assurance of the motorway police and FWO officials.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2019