Rawalpindi : The Punjab government has given green signal to a Swedish company to issue fitness certificates to local transporters of Rawalpindi from Monday.
On the directions of Punjab Transport Authority (PTA), the Swedish company has established a modern workshop near Rawat where all transporters will get computerised fitness certificates of their vehicles.
On the other hand, local transporters on Saturday in an emergency meeting rejected Punjab government’s decision to end Motor Vehicle Examiner (MVE) system to get fitness certificates. They also rejected Swedish company and vowed to come on roads against Punjab government’s decision.
Punjab government has issued a notification to end powers of Motor Vehicle Examiner (MVE) to issue fitness certificates to local transporters. The Motor Vehicle Examiners (MVE) in Rawalpindi have left charge and reported to Secretary District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) on Saturday.
District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) Secretary Khalid Yameen Satti told ‘The News’ that Punjab government has taken all powers of MVEs to issue fitness certificates to local transporters. All MVEs in the province will stop working to issue fitness certificates to local transporters from June 30, 2019, he added.
He said that Swedish company will be operational from Monday. The local transporters will contact the Swedish company to get fitness certificates to vehicles, he advised. “The Punjab government has also issued a notification to maintain old fee for transporters to get fitness certificates of vehicles,” he said. He said that Punjab government has directed Swedish company to establish two workshops; one in the city while second in the outskirts of the. But, Swedish company has launched a workshop in Rawat and promised to set up another workshop in the city very soon, he claimed.
Muttahidda Transport Welfare Association (MTWA) Chairman Raja Riaz has strongly protested against ending powers of MVEs to issue fitness certificates to local transporters said that Punjab government opened a new door for corruption.
According to District Regional Transport Authority (DRTA) office, there were over 50 Motor Vehicle Examiners (MVEs) functioning throughout the province issuing fitness certificates to local transporters. They were generating revenue worth millions of rupees every year. In Rawalpindi, Motor Vehicle Examiners (MVEs) were generating at least Rs60 million per year but now Punjab government will get only Rs3 million revenue against total of 60 million. There is an agreement in between Punjab government and Swedish company that land to establish workshop will be provided by Pakistani government while Swedish company will install heavy machinery and other things.