Wheel-jam strike, fuel price-hike

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July 22, 2008

The transporters here observing a wheel-jam strike all across the
sprawling mega-metropolis on the call of several transport
organizations protesting government’s unjust fuel price-hikes, while
the citizens although sharing the sentiments of the transporters and
having all the sympathy with them, find themselves in a state of
twice-hurt bearing the main brunt of fuel price-hikes as well as the
miseries let loose by transporters’s strike.

Almost all the
public transports including the buses, coaches, wagons and mini-buses,
except rickshaws, taxis and private vehicles, remained off the roads
paralyzing the normal city life here. The daily wage earners are the
worst sufferers of this mode of protests employed by the transporters
for a cause that is common to all, but the people here feel that it has
actually multiplied their miseries, which might ultimately end in
another bout of transport fare-hike.

The attendance in offices,
colleges and universities remained thin, as the rickshaws and taxis
found this opportunity of scarce transport on the roads and streets to
charge whimsical fares from the needy commuters going in urgency to the
hospitals, doctors and for some other chores.

Meanwhile,
Karachi Transport Ittehad president, Irshad Hussain Bukhari told Geo
News that the wheel-jam strike was being observed for ventilating their
vehement protests against Pakistan’s record enhancement in the prices
of petroleum products. The citizens on this occasion said that if the
government cannot solve their problems, then at least it shouldn’t
further add up. They have termed the government policies a conspiracy
to corner the poor to the wall.

Source: Daily News Pakistan