LAHORE: Continuing their protest for the second consecutive day against the government for allegedly disturbing their businesses, goods transporters on Friday announced to close all entry and exit points of the city from Saturday (today).

“Since no one is hearing us or resolving our issues we are left with no option but to expand our protest by closing Lahore’s exit/entry points,” announced an office-bearer of the Pakistan Goods Transporters Association while addressing a procession organised from Circular Road to Shahalam Market.

Riding trucks, mini loaders and other goods vehicles, the transporters chanted slogans against the government for allegedly rendering workers jobless through various operations and drives.

The Shahalam traders also joined the procession and showered the protesters with rose petals. They said disallowing them from booking goods on Circular Road was highhandedness.

The government should first construct a state-of-the-art truck stand/terminal outside the city and then halt the existing transport businesses on Circular Road and other places.

They asked the government to stop the Federal Bureau of Revenue and customs authorities from conducting raids and direct traffic police against imposing “heavy fines on them unnecessarily”.

The transporters went on strike on Thursday after the city administration, in association with traffic police, launched an operation to clear Circular Road from encroachments and traffic congestion.

The admin says that since truckers blocked the road while loading and unloading goods instead of using the space allocated for the purpose, it created severe traffic congestion.

“The truckers are allowed to book goods only and not load/unload. But they create traffic problems while flouting the rules,” a spokesman for the city admin told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2019