PESHAWAR: Transporters staged protest demonstration against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transport department for not timely issuing the licence of heavy traffic vehicle(HTV) and criticised the performance of the Transport authorities in Peshawar.
The protesters expressed their anger over the department’s performance and the extraordinary delay in issuing licenses, and blocked the entrance of the office and shouted slogans.
The protesters maintained that they have been visiting the offices for the past several months to get licenses. They said that despite passing the test and depositing the government-set fees of thousands of rupees in banks, they are still not being provided with cards. The citizens protested and said that, due to not having a license, they have to face heavy fines from the traffic police on the roads, while the Transport Department is constantly using delaying tactics.
During the protest, the citizens made serious allegations against the staff of the Transport Department and said that an “agent mafia” is regularly active in the office, working in collusion with government officials. The protesters claimed that those who illegally pay extra money to “agents” are issued licenses within just 24 hours of submitting their files, while ordinary and poor citizens who follow the legal procedure are being given licenses for months.
The protesters have demanded Chief Minister Sohail Afridi that the provincial government and higher authorities take immediate notice of the alleged corruption in the licensing system and that the citizens who have deposited the fees be provided with licenses immediately.
They warned that if the issue is not resolved within a few days, they will expand their protest to the entire city and block major highways.
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