PESHAWAR: Transporters under the banner of Transporters Alliance staged a protest outside the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly building here on Monday against the increase in petroleum prices, demanding immediate revision of official public transport fares.
The protesters warned the provincial government to issue revised fare notifications within three days, failing which they would launch a province-wide wheel-jam strike.
The demonstration was led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Transpon Owners Association president Khan Zaman Afridi, along with Haji Waheed, Haji Noor Muhammad and Yar Muhammad, besides other office-bearers.
Addressing the protesters, the transport leaders said that fuel prices were being increased frequently, but the government had failed to revise public transport fares accordingly, pushing the transport owners into severe financial difficulties.
They said transponers could not increase fares on their own because doing so often led to disputes and confrontation with passengers.
The speakers said that in the past, petroleum prices were revised once a month, and even then the transport department often delayed issuing updated fare notifications.
However, with fuel prices now changing more frequently, the situation had become increasingly difficult for transport operators.
They maintained that if the government did not officially revise fares within the stipulated period, transporters would have no option but to suspend their services and go on a province-wide wheel-jam strike.
The protesters also chanted slogans against the federal government and demanded a reduction in petroleum prices.
The protesters later dispersed peacefully after government officials assured them that their demands would be addressed. Bureau