LAHORE, Aug 21: The district Nazim on Thursday ordered suspension of the road-user charge recovery till further orders and disciplinary action against its recovery staff for committing irregularities.

The Nazim ordered suspension of the charge recovery pending the formulation of a transparent system for its collection on noticing serious irregularities in its recovery by the City District Government employees during surprise inspection of the posts set up for the purpose.

He found the employees collecting the charge without issuing receipts and discriminating against vehicles for recovery of charges.

He ordered immediate repatriation of the employees deputed for the recovery of the charge back to the places from where they had been transferred.

The City District Government started the recovery of charge from July 1 after its approval by the district council in its budget session in the last week of June. It was imposed only on the users of the city roads instead of the district because it was not found possible to recover it at the entry points of the district as the roads entering the district were owned by the communication and works department.

Five posts were constructed at main Outfall Road near Saggian Bridge, near Ordnance Depot on Multan Road, Sheikhupura Road and Ferozepur Road for the recovery of charge at a cost of Rs110,000 each. The collection started at an average Rs25,000 daily because majority of motorists were reluctant to pay it. The collection was reported to have increased to Rs50,000 per day recently.

The charge was being recovered at the rate of Rs10 from the car drivers and Rs13 from the bus and truck drivers on entering the city. Rickshaws and motorcycles were exempt from the tax.

The City District Government also decided to issue monthly passes of Rs100 to car owners entering the city frequently. It printed 5,000 passes and had sold 120 by now.