PESHAWAR: The public transport operators here held a demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club on Thursday to protest ban on CNG and LPG kits in passenger and school vans.

The protesting transporters chanted slogans against federal government and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for declaring the CNG kits illegal.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the protesters termed the notification ‘justice’. They said that it was injustice with them as well as the passengers to ban CNG kits in vehicles.

They said that the decision would also create problems for the poor people as they would be unable to bear the extra financial burden.

The representatives of transporters, Anwarullah Khan and Taj Mohammad, told journalists on the occasion that prices of petrol were also skyrocketing in the country and as result they would have to keep their vehicles off roads.

“Parents are already reluctant to pay monthly charges to drivers and no one would be able to pay extra fare if the vehicles are converted to petrol,” they said.

They said that OGRA had earlier collected millions of rupees from transporters in the name of CNG cylinders fitness test fee.

They said that it was injustice with the transporters to remove the expensive CNG kits from their vehicles.

The protestors urged the district administration to stop seizure of CNG kits on the directives of Ogra as it would force people to take to the streets on daily basis.

Meanwhile, the Public Transport Owners Association has also announced to hold a rally on motorway toll plaza on Monday against increase in ratio of penalties.

The association president, Noor Zaman Afridi, in a statement here on Thursday said that they could not afford to pay huge penalties and it would be better for them to announce wheel jam strike against the federal government.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2019