PESHAWAR, April 23: Coaster owners on Friday demanded that the government should take action against extortion at the general bus terminal.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club, Coaster Owners' Welfare Club President Amir Shah alleged that some people at the Peshawar-Islamabad, Peshawar-Sialkot and Rawalpindi-Peshawar coaster stands were involved in extortion in the name of terminus fees.

He said that every coaster owner paid Rs160 as terminus fees to the contractor but illegal "stand operators" received Rs135 from them at the Peshawar-Islamabad and Rawalpindi-Peshawar stands and Rs175 atthe Peshawar-Sialkot stand without any receipt.

He requested the Nowshera cantonment executive officer to allow the vehicles to drive onto the Mall Road rather than the dilapidated R.A. Bazaar and Aziz Bhatti roads. He said the Daewoo buses used the MallRoad but the local transporters were not allowed to use it. He called for the repair of the Aziz Bhatti Road.