Punjab’s transporters have announced a province-wide wheel-jam strike starting December 8.
President of the Pakistan Goods Transport Association, Nabeel Tariq, said during a press conference that the government has been given four days to accept their demands; otherwise, transporters will take to the streets. He said the Traffic Ordinance 2025 has been imposed on them without consulting any transporter. Drivers are being humiliated, vehicles are being impounded, and the fines are so heavy that 80% of their operations have come to a halt.
Nabeel Tariq added that their goods are lying in warehouses because no driver is willing to transport them. He demanded that the Traffic Ordinance be immediately withdrawn, saying all transporters are living in fear. He further said their businesses are being destroyed and questioned how they could continue under such a system. He demanded an end to challan targets imposed by traffic police, motorway police, patrolling police, and station police. He also demanded that illegal fines imposed by Lahore’s Pera Force and the Corporation be abolished.
He further said that illegal fines by the RTA Secretary and the Environment Department should be stopped, passing facilities should be available at all government terminals, land should be allocated for new truck stands in Lahore, and space should be provided for mini Mazda vehicles, as no stand exists for them in Punjab. He demanded reinstatement of their 7,500 cancelled Mazdas. He added that a fixed time should be set for issuing route permits, their duration should be extended to three years, challan targets on motorways should end, toll tax increases should be withdrawn, rising incidents of robbery on motorways should be controlled, axle-load laws should be uniform across the country, and robberies near the Kacha areas should be stopped. He also demanded removal of unnecessary toll plazas on highways and GT Road and an end to unjustified customs checking.
President of the All Pakistan Public Transport Owners Association, Ismatullah Niazi, said they will shut down operations across Punjab from December 8. The government has been given four days to accept their demands, and the strike will continue until the demands are met.
Ismatullah Niazi added that even if they have to go to jail, they will not back down. He warned that although the strike is currently limited to Punjab, if demands are not accepted, they will shut down transport across the entire country.
