LAHORE: Transport owners blocked entry and exit lanes at Babu Sabu motorway interchange by parking buses here on Wednesday in protest against an increase in taxes on their business.

The protest resulted in long queues of cars and a few buses, whose owners did not join the agitation, causing problems for commuters.

Hundreds of transport owners from Bund Road and Badami Bagh bus terminals participated in the protest at the M-II interchange.

The district administration and police were holding talks with the protesters to get the interchange cleared for the stranded commuters till the filing of this story at 10pm.

The transport owners say the government imposed Rs8,000 per seat tax on them from this year, hiking it four times from Rs200 of last year. They say the enhanced rate of tax, coupled with an increase in token tax and the exorbitant hike in diesel prices, has made it difficult for them to continue their business.

They vowed to continue their protest till the acceptance of their demands.

The inter-city passengers, particularly those who have to visit towns not accessible by train, have to face problems due to unavailability of the public transport.

City railway station also witnessed an increased rush of passengers because of transport strike. Passengers problems were compounded as trains were already running behind their schedules because of rains and shortage of locomotives.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2022