Karachi transport strike to continue after talks with police fail

KARACHI: Karachi’s public transport shutdown will continue after discussions between transport operators and police failed to produce an agreement, according to the head of a transporters’ association, as the strike entered its third day on Saturday.

The wheel-jam strike has been under way in the city since Thursday against electronic traffic challans, heavy penalties and other regulatory measures. The disruption has kept buses, minibuses and coaches largely off the roads, creating commuting difficulties for thousands of people travelling to offices, educational institutions and commercial areas.

Haji Tawab Khan, president of the Karachi Transport Ittehad, said the meeting with the traffic police did not resolve the dispute. He told Dawn that the strike would continue because the transporters’ demands remained unmet and, despite repeated requests, no meeting had been arranged with government officials.

Referring to the talks, Tawab said the DIG Traffic told transporters that withdrawing the e-challans was not within his powers, though he assured them that challans identified by operators as unjustified would be reviewed.

Earlier, Karachi Transport Ittehad vice president Muhammad Ilyas had said there was no progress on the transporters’ four main demands. He said transporters were objecting to what they described as steep fines under the e-challan regime.

According to Ilyas, transport operators believe the penalties generated through high-resolution cameras installed at traffic signals, as well as body-worn cameras used by traffic police personnel, have become increasingly difficult for them to bear.

He said the group was also raising concerns over the biometric verification requirement for transfer of vehicle ownership, which transporters consider cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, he said they were seeking a review of the compulsory third-party insurance condition, under which vehicle owners are required to pay about Rs12,000.

A day earlier, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Shah had told media that Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon had taken notice of the strike and that the issue would be resolved soon.

The continuing protest has added to travel problems across Karachi, where the absence of regular public transport has forced commuters to look for alternative means of travel.