Punjab Minister for Transport and Mass-transit Bilal Akbar Khan, chairing a meeting at the Transport House on Tuesday, reviewed issues faced by public transporters across the province and discuss measures for their early resolution.  Office-bearers of various public transport associations attended the meeting, while senior officials from the Transport Department, Traffic Police, Punjab Transport Authority (PTA), and other relevant departments were also present.

The meeting reviewed a range of operational and regulatory problems confronting public transport operators.  Addressing the participants, Bilal Akbar Khan assured transporters that their genuine grievances would be resolved at the earliest. He said the government was fully committed to addressing complaints and concerns of the transport community and creating a facilitative environment for public transport operations. 

The provincial minister said that suggestions put forward by transporters were being considered in the formulation of new rules and amendments. He added that reservations regarding challans and fines would also be removed to ensure fairness and transparency in enforcement.  Bilal Akbar Khan warned that action would be taken against officers found guilty of unnecessary harassment or misuse of authority.

He said immediate steps were being taken to improve all matters related to the transport sector, with an aim of ensuring smooth, safe and efficient public transport services for citizens.  The meeting also agreed to continue consultations, with regular meetings to be held in the future to address transporters’ issues and monitor progress on decisions taken. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)