Filling stations want fuel sale to helmetless motorcyclists

by Bureau report

PESHAWAR: The Petrol Pumps Association officebearers and owners have expressed concern over heavy fines, alleged harassment, the arrest of staff and sealing of filling stations over violation of the ban on the sale of petrol to bike-riders without helmets.

They expressed the concern over the fines in a meeting with the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz here at the chamber house here on Sunday.

The owners included Abdul Majid, Shoaib Khan, M. Ittehad Khan, Shamsher Khan, Fazal Qader, Ashfaq Ahmad, Shakeel Khan, Nadir Khan, Malik Pervaiz and others were present in the meeting. The owners complained that the motor bike-riders reacted if fuel station refused to sell them petrol. They termed the ban imposed by the district authorities on the sale of petrol to bikers without helmets as an ‘anti-business’ act which should be lifted immediately.

The SCCI chief said traffic police, Excise and other relevant departments should enforce road safety rules instead of forcing petrol pumps owners/business community to implement such rules by hook or by crook. He said each fuel the station was fined from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 for violation of the ban on the sale of petrol to bike riders without helmets, which, he said, was an injustice to the business community.

Maqsood Pervaiz said the relevant government departments wanted to enforce road safety rules through business community instead of fulfilling own obligations.

The SCCI head said incidents of cash snatching at petrol pumps had increased with each passing day for lack of adequate security, which was a question mark on the performance of the government departments. Maqsood Pervaiz asked the district administration to stop imposing heavy fines, arresting petrol pumps staff and their harassment with various tactics, or else the business community would be compelled to launch a protest movement. He said businesses have already slowed down due to ongoing Bus Rapid Transit project, prolonged terrorism and coronavirus, while the district administration decision would shut it down. Maqsood Pervaiz said the no fuel for helmetless motorcyclist policy was being implemented by district administration without taking the business community into confidence. He asked the government to devise business-friendly policies to resolve issues of the community instead of multiplying them. The chamber president demanded the district administration to withdraw the notification on the ban on sale of petrol to bikers without helmets.