Haripur transporters seek interest free loans

HARIPUR: The local transporters have demanded of the government to either pay them long term interest-free loans for running their kitchens or exempt the public transport from lockdown.

The office-bearers of Haripur Transporters’ Union, Babar Shehzad Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Sher Ali and Muhammad Younas, made the demand while talking to newsmen here on Thursday. They said that hundreds of public transport vehicles both plying on inter-city and intra-district routes have been off the road for over a month rendering thousands of drivers, helpers, cleaners and workers of different terminals in Hazara jobless.

They said that the lockdown for over a month had put the workers under psychological stress due to worsening economic conditions. “They are heavily indebted as they have lost their source of income,” said Babar Shehzad. They pointed out that the private van owners and rickshaw drivers were charging high fares from the passengers travelling to hospitals or other cities under unavoidable circumstances. They said that having no check on greedy drivers of the private vans, rickshaws and motor cars the burden was being borne by the poor public which was the logical result of ill-planned lockdown.