FAISALABAD, June 24: On the orders of the Lahore High Court, the local police and district administration closed down 45 wagon stands along the Rakh Branch Canal near Abdullahpur in a mid-night operation.

Heavy police contingents along with officials of the administration and the RTA Authority encircled the wagon stands, forcing transporters and commuters to vacate the area. Six vehicles were taken into custody.

No passenger vehicle was allowed to leave the wagon stands throughout the day. Commuters were seen running to catch vehicles from other wagon stands at distant places.

Local transporter Muhammad Akram had filed a writ petition with the LHC, claiming that scores of places were given to various people for establishment of halting points which were being used as regular wagon and bus stands in violation of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.

The petitioner further said that under the rules, halting points could be used by all transporters for loading or unloading of the passengers and the same could not be used as a substitute for the wagon or bus stand.

The Punjab Road Transport Authority chairman had violated the law by allowing the transporters to set up halting points. Deciding the writ petition, Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry observed that these sanctioned points could not be a substitute for regular stands.

"The rules also say the halting points can be sanctioned in favour of particular party subject to certain conditions, which are contained in Rule 254 of the Motor Vehicle Rules.

The permit granted to a forwarding agent to use a place for loading, unloading or halting a goods vehicle can be given to a person when he has under his control over 30 public carriers.

As far picking up and dropping of a passenger, a halting point can be used for few minutes only by any public service vehicle.. The person in whose favour a halting point sanctioned is also required to own the land.

The petitioner has a license of travel agency given to him under the Travel Agency Act 1876. Such persons are not regular transporters and do not own any vehicle," the judgment observed.

According to the LHC verdict, the PRTA chairman did not apply his mind to the facts and circumstances of the case and passed an order which was not only violative of the law on the subject but was coloured.

In July 2003, the LHC had ordered the local RTA, the DCO, the SSP and the DPO (traffic) to take necessary steps to close down the unauthorized stands being operated by transporters.

The then administration and police instead of implementing the LHC orders filed an application for seeking legal opinion from the district attorney as how to implement the court orders.

Another transporter had approached the Supreme Court against the similar judgment of the LHC. The matter has been in the cold storage for the last year. Petitioner Akram reportedly moved the apex court praying that there was no stay order from this court over the operation of Abdullahpur wagon stands.

At this, the DCO in capacity of the DRTA chairman, asked the DPO, the SP and other officials concerned to launch a joint operation for the closure of illegal wagon stands near Abdullahpur. The police and administration closed down the wagon stands.

Former MNA and mayor of defunct MC Sher Ali in league with some of the district administrative officials had allotted the land along Rakh Branch Canal for wagon stands. The stands were leased out to different transporters after getting handsome amounts from them. The matter was brought to the notice of many forums like the Punjab Assembly and LHC.

The defunct FMC (TMA) in its written reply during a number of inquiries denied its involvement in the allotment of land to wagon stands. The site is originally in the name of Irrigation Department, but it was also unable to take action against the transporters.