SWABI: Public transporters on Friday called off their strike but threatened to resume their agitation if their demand to be allowed to use CNG cylinders in their vehicles wasn’t met by the end of this month.

Leaders of the Mardan transporters’ association reached the Swabi Interchange of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and joined their colleagues from Swabi, blocking the motorway.

However, they later lifted the blockage after the district police assured them that they could use CNG kits in their vehicles plying on the motorway till Nov 1.

Fazal Sher Khan, DSP Chota Lahor tehsil, said that the transporters’ issues could only be resolved through talks.

Ayaz Khan, president of Mardan coach owners’ association, said that if the transporters’ demand wasn’t met by coming Friday, the transporters from Mardan, Peshawar and other districts would observe a wheel-jam strike and would also block the motorway.

“Motorway police have lifted the ban on using CNG kits for a week for passenger coaches,” Waqif Khan, district president of public transporters’ association, said.

“If the ban is imposed again, the motorway would be blocked to traffic,” he threatened.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2024