LAHORE: Transporters across the province on Saturday ended their strike after the Punjab government constituted four committees for the improvement, development and resolution of all issues of the transport industry.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb with full participation of representatives of goods and public transporters. Officials said the transports across the province welcomed Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s decision to give the transport sector the status of an industry. They said the transporters agreed to fully support the steps taken by the Punjab chief minister for the development of the transport sector.
Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar was appointed as central coordinator while four permanent committees have been established to resolve issues. The committees are Goods Transport Committee, Mini Mazda Transport Committee, Public Transport Committee and Staff Duty Vehicle Committee. The transporters will compile their recommendations and present them to Marriyum Aurangzeb in the next meeting. The transporters and government representatives will present their final proposals in a joint press conference next Wednesday.
The four committees will monitor transport-related issues on a regular basis and review the implementation of recommendations. All proposals will be finalized within three days, a month will be given for administrative measures, a joint declaration of the meeting said.
Government and transporters’ representatives have agreed to jointly consider, further improve and implement the Traffic Ordinance 2025. No provision regarding Diyat has been included in Traffic Ordinance 2025, the joint declaration claimed, adding that evidence-based challans will be given to transporters. After being challaned for one offense, there will be no challan for the same offense again in the same cycle, the joint declaration stated and said the process of challaning on routes will be regulated through the Electronic One App.
Steps have been taken in other provinces to solve traffic laws and transporters’ problems on the model of Punjab. The transporters demanded that the central government and other provinces give transport the status of an industry like Punjab, take steps for other facilities and improvements.
On the demand of transporters, Marriyum will submit recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to solve their problems at the central level. The senior minister said implementation of traffic laws would improve the system. Both sides agreed on mutual cooperation in the joint declaration. The Punjab government will ensure the development of the transport industry to world standards, the development of related sectors, the use of modern technology and methods, she added.
The Punjab government would make legal and administrative reforms for the development and improvement of the transport industry and improve infrastructure, she said, adding that the standing committees on goods, public transport and administrative affairs would meet every three months. She said progress would be made on eliminating double challans through a modern app. Overloading, axle weight, vehicle size and fitness issues would be resolved in consultation with transporters, she maintained.
