Orders clearing roads and pavements of encroachments,
installing barriers to restrict heavy vehicles
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the chief secretary, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, cantonment boards and other land-owning agencies to ensure that every encroachment from Karachi’s roads and pavements is immediately removed for smooth movement of traffic and pedestrians.
Issuing a detailed judgment on a petition against plying of heavy vehicles on roads and in residential areas during day-time, the SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar directed government and municipal authorities to also install barriers at entry points of all the districts to restrict unauthorised heavy vehicles.
The court directed the CS and Board of Revenue to allocate and provide land for all the entry points outside Karachi and to set up proper checkpoints there with proper infrastructure and adequate police force, including bomb disposal squads, so that roadworthiness and papers of heavy vehicles could be thoroughly checked before being allowed into the city.
The SHC said that such a mechanism would improve the traffic as well as the law and order situation by curbing smuggling, terrorism and entry of unwanted people into the city.
The bench directed the transport authorities to finalise the policy to regulate the number of passenger buses and coaches on a particular route within a specified time period as well as the criteria for issuing route permits.
The court expressed concern over 278 accidental deaths by heavy vehicles in the past 15 months, and observed that the authorities had failed to tackle traffic congestion, accidents and environmental and noise pollution. The SHC said that all the relevant departments should ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city to avoid entry and use of unfit and dangerous vehicles for avoiding accidents and congestion.
he bench said the departments should ensure that banned pressure horns, unauthorised number plates and revolving bar lights were not used in any part of the city, besides ensuring that driving licences were issued only to the eligible as well as, most importantly, ensuring implementation of the orders of the Supreme Court and the SHC.
The court directed the transport secretary and the traffic police to stop entry of all types of heavy vehicles, except passenger buses and coaches, in the city between 6am and 11pm, as directed by the top court.
The SHC directed the transport and traffic authorities to ensure that heavy vehicles – except water tankers, bowsers and, in special cases, vehicles carrying essential commodities of daily use and fuel for filling stations – were not allowed in any part of the city at any time, as ordered by the court.
The bench directed the traffic authorities to ensure that strict action be taken against all vehicles with illegal and banned pressure horns by immediately removing and confiscating them.
The order would also be applied on private vehicles with unauthorised sirens, hooters or revolving bar lights, fancy or unauthorised number plates and tinted glasses. All such vehicles would be impounded and cases registered against the owners and drivers.
The SHC directed the government and the provincial police chief to take immediate action against the vendors and retailers of banned pressure horns as well as against vendors of fancy and unauthorised number plates.
The bench directed the government to ensure that the process of issuing driving licences was computerised all over the province so that no licence was issued without written and practical tests, and all traffic violations and offences committed by a driver should be entered in his record for future reference.
Transport Secretary Tauha Ahmed Farooqui filed a statement regarding classification and reclassification of public transport routes in Karachi and issuance of route permits.
He said the government was working to amend the relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965, Motor Vehicles Rules 1969 and Sindh Mass Transit Authority Act 2014 for reducing traffic congestion to provide efficient, safe and properly coordinated road transport system for alignment and realignment of routes of public transport to control and reduce environmental pollution and to determine number of permits to be issued for every route of public transport on the basis of population, road width, etc.
He added that the transport department had also launched a project for vehicles’ inspection and certificate, and it would be started soon to issue roadworthiness certificates to all types of vehicles, particularly heavy vehicles, including those used for public transport.
The transport secretary and traffic police chief told the SHC that their departments were trying their best to implement the orders of the court.
They said illegal encroachments on roads and pavements were major reasons for traffic congestion and accidents, and requested the court to issue directives in this regard.
To a court query regarding criteria and test for issuing computerised driving licences, the traffic police chief said that only the Clifton office was equipped with such a facility and that other parts of the province were issuing licences manually.
He requested the court that in order to streamline the procedure for issuing driving licences, the National Database & Registration Authority should be directed to take necessary steps.
He suggested that papers of drivers and vehicles could be inspected at entry points and such an exercise could be undertaken if proper space was provided for all the entry points outside the city.
He said that if barriers were installed at relevant places, unauthorised entry of heavy vehicles in the city, particularly in residential areas, could be restricted. He also provided a list of all such places in all the districts where the barriers could be installed.
The court directed all the relevant authorities to submit a compliance report along with all supporting materials to prove that the court’s orders were followed.
The bench also directed the traffic police chief, Defence Housing Authority, cantonment boards and others to file their respective comments on April 22.