Transporters protest CNG stations’ closure

PESHAWAR: Transporters staged a protest walk from the General Bus Stand to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against the government decision to close the Compressed Natural Gas stations for one month.

The protesting transporters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government for depriving them of their livelihood. They were chanting slogans against the government for depriving them of their livelihood. Led by the Public Transport Owners Association president Khan Zaman Afridi and other office-bearers, the protesters asked the government to reopen the CNG stations forthwith which was not only affecting the transporters but also the general public.

They said that the suspension of gas supply to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was unjust as the gas was the provincial resource and the people of the province had the first right over its use.

They said that the government had raised the prices of the petroleum products, which had raised the fare and now the gas closure to the CNG stations had badly affected the poor segment of the society.

They said that the traffic police issued tickets to transporters for raising the fares while the government failed to provide a viable option to the transporters. The protesting transporters demanded the government to take back the order of CNG stations’ closure or else they would announce province-wide protests.

Meanwhile, the district administration sealed two LPG shops for providing gas to the vehicles.

A statement issued by the administration said that two gas shops were sealed in Board bazaar for providing gas to the vehicles and arrested the owners of the shops. A case was registered against the owners of the shops for putting the lives of the people at risk.

The administration warned the LPG shop owners against the practice as it could cause a blast and take lives.