'Illegal' tax collection: transporters hold protest demonostration against contractors

Transporters held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road against the contractors for overcharging the transport owners and termed the practice against a decision of Peshawar High Court. The protest demo was led by Insaf Public Transport Welfare Association (IPTWA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter. The participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for implementation of the court's decision.
The demonstrators were led by president of association, Major Tahir Bangash and Sarhad Transport Legal Action Committee Chairman Haji Ehsanullah. Talking to media persons they warned that if the problems were not solved at the earliest the transporters would stage a sit-in outside parliament house in Islamabad.
They said that despite a court's decision the contractors had continued taking extortion money from the transport operatives but the relevant officials of the transport department were reluctant to take action. Talking to reporters, Haji Ehsanullah said that the contractors are collecting illegal tax from the transporters, saying that they are paying Rs 250 tax against the fixed rate of Rs 100 as per vehicle. He further said that the government had also strictly directed the relevant officials to stop this illegal practice at the general bus stand but failed.
"We have won several cases in the court and some are under trial but the officials of the transport department are least bothered to take action in this regard," he said. He said that the deputy director transport at the bus terminal knew well about this illegal practice by the contractors but he was also hand in glove with them. "We have time and again asked them to stop taking illegal tax collection but they are not ready to do so," he remarked. The only option, he said that transporters had to approach High Court again and also hold protest demonstrations even at Islamabad to inform all the people about the injustices done with the transport owners.