Transporters to go on indefinite protest strike from today
RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI (November 14 2006): The 'supreme council' of All Karachi Transport Ittehad (SCAKTI) has announced that it will hold protest strike for indefinite period from November 14 against government's unfriendly policies towards transporters' community and for not addressing their problems.
Addressing a joint press conference, SCAKTI chairman Madad Khan Niazi and President, Karachi Goods Carrier Association (KGCA), Muhammad Khalid Khan at Karachi Press Club on Monday, said that they would jam transport services from Karachi Port and Port Qasim in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government and its anti-tranporters policies.
They reiterated their demands included immediate waiving of entry fee at the parking stand, provision of clean potable water, removal of encroachments, construction of road infrastructure besides sewerage system, decrease in fuel prices, lifting of additional charges imposed on vehicles bearing numbers under Karachi registration, security to transporters and their businesses, lifting of section 144 imposed by City Nazim under the agreement and the closure of NHA weighing machines due to their improper functioning bringing about corruption.
The joint action committee said that transporters' community was being treated as third class citizens despite paying more than Rs one million taxes to federal and provincial governments.
They termed goods transport as the 'backbone' of the country's economy and said that they were also paying around Rs 20 million per year only in terms of entry parking fee to City District Government Karachi (CDGK).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2006