PESHAWAR, Oct 16: The city transporters on Wednesday observed a wheel-jam strike and blocked the GT Road for several hours during the protest demonstration, against what they called, the high-handedness of the traffic police.

The traffic police since morning started strict checking at several places and imposed on-the-spot fine of Rs400 without any justification besides impounding several vehicles, a local transporter Farhad Khan said.

He said that the traffic police had started checking all the public transport at Phandu Chowk, Chamkani, Bara Gate and Gora Qabristan areas and after imposing on the spot fine impounded several vehicles.

He blamed that when the transporters went to the police stations to release their vehicles, the police officials concerned demanded Rs200 from every vehicle owner without any government receipt.

To protest the high-handedness of the traffic police the Public Transport Owners Association of NWFP staged a protest march from general bus stand to Firdos and blocked the GT Road for three hours, Farhad Khan maintained.

In the meantime, the newly elected MNA Sabir Hussain Awan and SP Zafar Ullah Khan arrived and assured the protesters that their grievances would be removed. On their assurance the transporters ended their strike.

President of Public Transport Owners Association, Jehangir Khan Afridi, said that the transporters had earlier postponed the Wednesday strike after the assurance by NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah at a meeting the other day.

In the meeting the governor had promised that the traffic police would not impose on the spot fine on the public transport till the transporters meeting with the Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani on Oct 20. “We took the step as the traffic police failed to abide by the governor’s promise,” he added.

He said that there was no legal validity of on the spot fines and impounding the public transport.