SWABI: Transporters observed a wheel-jam strike after the owners of CNG stations closed their outlets in the Razaar tehsil here on Friday in protest against what they said massive hike in the price of the commodity.

The CNG station owners said that the huge increase in the price of the commodity by the caretaker government had forced them to close the stations to pressurise the authorities to withdraw the hike because it was not possible for them to run their businesses.

The transporters said that due to the strike by CNG stations’ owners, they were facing difficulties to continue their business.

The rickshaw drivers said that running their vehicles on petrol was not possible for them in the prevailing situation when the consumers were already hard hit by the spiraling inflation.

“Neither the owners of CNG stations are ready to give importance to our demand to open the filling stations nor the commuters are in a mood

to pay fare according to petrol price,” Shahid Khan, driver of a three-wheeler said.

The public transporters warned that if the CNG stations were not opened till Saturday (today), they would take to the streets.

Zakir Khan, owner of a CNG station, said that the public transporters should use petrol as long as the CNG stations remained closed.

Due to the closure of CNG stations and wheel-jam strike by the transporters the commuters faced difficulty as private car drivers charged them heavily.

Meanwhile, the transporters said that if the government failed to reconsider the increase in price of CNG, they would take to the streets across the district.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2023