GUJRANWALA, Oct 4: Angry commuters blocked the GT Road at Eminabad in protest against transport department and RTA secretary on withdrawing 500 wagons and plying less buses than required on Monday.

Eyewitnesses stated that passengers, including women and children, who were waiting for conveyance for hours became infuriated when drivers of some packed bused did not stop at Eminabad. Later, they blocked the road and besieged a bus.

They held transport department and RTA secretary responsible for worsening of situation after withdrawal of 500 wagons to benefit the bus owners. They raised slogans against the government and transport department and demanded urged the chief minister to withdraw franchized buses and restore wagon service to resolve their problems.

Some of the commuters and activists of student organizations threatened that they would set the buses to fire if wagons were not allowed to ply on GT Road. They claimed that bus owners increased fare arbitrarily and fixed Rs4 per stop.

Meanwhile, MNA Qazi Hamidullah and others criticized the government franchized policy and demanded that wagons should be restored immediately. They met transport minister and DCO and apprised them of situation of transport.