LAHORE, March 3: Six city district government teams on Thursday arrested 20 shopkeepers and booked another 35 for selling helmets at exorbitant prices while 800 people were fined for violation.

During the first two days of the campaign, over 9,000 violators were fined. The teams constituted by DCO Khalid Sultan proceeded against the shopkeepers during checking of availability and prices of helmets in the city markets.

The DCO directed the teams to proceed against the shopkeepers selling helmets without displaying prices and demanding excessive prices. He called upon the people to lodge complaints against overcharging by shopkeepers on telephone Nos 9200637, 9200484 and 9211005 for immediate action.

The DCO also called upon the motorcycle manufacturers to provide helmets carrying their monograms with their bikes free of charge as a gesture of goodwill towards customers.

APP ADDS: Punjab Transport Minister Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan on Thursday said the government would try to ensure the availability of helmet for motorcyclists at actual price.

He said this while addressing a press conference at DGPR Media Hall. He said price control committees had started working to this effect. He said traffic police had launched an awareness campaign two months ago. About 28,000 pamphlets were also distributed among the public and banners had been displayed on all big roads in this regard.

On a query, he said strict action would be taken against those policemen who misbehaved with people. Meanwhile, a delegation of Anjuman Tajran, McLeod Road during a meeting with DCO Khalid Sultan here on Thursday assured elimination of unreasonable increase in helmet prices.

According to a handout, the delegation told the DCO that a very big consignment had been arranged and the situation would ease within a few days. They assured that traders would desist from profiteering for the successful implementation of the government's laudable decision.