Local public transporters on Sunday announced a wheel-jam strike for tomorrow (December 8) in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, rejecting the local administration’s request to delay the protest against the new traffic ordinance, which has raised fines for heavy vehicles.

The strike was announced on the call of the Punjab Public Transport Association. Before the announcement, representatives of the association, along with the Goods Transporters Association, met City Traffic Police officer Farhan Aslam and Regional Transport Authority Secretary Asad Shirazi. The administration urged transporters not to observe a wheel-jam strike in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

However, local transporters refused to withdraw their decision, insisting they would go ahead with the strike to pressure the provincial government into repealing the ordinance.

“We tried to convince the transporters not to go for a wheel-jam strike, but they demanded to abolish the new amendments, and it was beyond our authority to do anything about it,” Shirazi said.

He added that the Punjab government had been informed of the demands of the transporters, and it would hold negotiations with the United Transport Association in Lahore.

Mutahida Transport Federation of Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad Chairman Raja Muhammad Riaz told Dawn that “transporters were facing problems due to heavy fines, and it was difficult to manage their household budgets.”

“Heavy fines from Rs5,000 to Rs20,000 had become routine, and it destroyed their business,” Riaz said, adding that the government was trying to recover its financial burdens from transporters, who were already struggling with fuel and spare parts.

He demanded an immediate reduction in fines and an end to policies that “destroyed the sector.”

During the meeting, he said that the traffic police agreed not to impose fines on vehicles having a fitness certificate.

Meanwhile, the President of the Goods Transport Association, Shakeel Qureshi, said that freight vehicles and goods transporters in Rawalpindi would support the wheel-jam strike on Monday.

“We will join them in the decision of the Pakistan United Transporters Committee to strike on December 8,” he said, adding that the Rawalpindi transporters will keep their bases completely closed.

“We strongly condemn the traffic laws passed by the Punjab Assembly and the rate of fines,” he said. “Amendments to the customs laws that will be made are tantamount to economic murder of transporters.”

Qureshi went on to say that the government should take the time to be conscious and make decisions, keeping in mind the interests of the people. “It should not be that decisions are made by listening to one side and making laws without consulting stakeholders,” he said.

On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) Rawalpindi district has announced its full support for the December 8 strike of the Transport Action Committee against heavy traffic fines.

Spokesperson JUI Rawalpindi Hafiz Ziaullah said that heavy fines imposed by the Punjab government have made life difficult for the people of Rawalpindi, especially the poor motorcyclists.

He demanded that the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, “adopt a people-friendly policy and reduce the unnecessary and unfair burden of fines.”