‘Bhatta’ collection

'bhatta' collec­tion is going on right under the nose of the chief minist­er of Punjab­

LAHORE: The parking staff deputed at the Jinnah Bus Terminal at Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore, is collecting an entry fee from every car entering the terminal. Additionally, the parking fee for motorbikes is being charged at the rate of Rs50 per day. I addressed my concern with the terminal in charge. Initially, his stance was that since no one uses their parking, meaning, little to no revenue being earned, they have to collect a parking fee from every vehicle. This was the reason given for overcharging motorbikes as well. I argued with the terminal in charge that the fee they are charging is an entry fee — not a parking fee — a charge that is not collected at any public place, such as the airport, railway station and even the city district government bus terminal.

When I wrote to the chief minister's complaint cell regarding the issue, the terminal in-charge changed his stance, saying that the parking staff cannot act on the complaint unless we get three complaints in writing. Meanwhile, the parking fee for motorbikes is still being charged at Rs50 per bike, per day. This 'bhatta' collection is going on right under the nose of the chief minister of Punjab.

Muhammad Azhar Iqbal

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2015.

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September 18, 2015 at 01:21PM
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune