School van owners protest as police launches crackdown against CNG-fitted vehicles

KARACHI: A crackdown against school vans fixed with CNG and LPG cylinders was launched by police on Thursday.

According to reports, police sprung to action following burns endured by eight school children out of 14 present in the school van, after their vehicle caught fire near Orangi Town in Karachi on January 5 while it was on the way to their school in Nazimabad.

Following the crackdown, van drivers and owners took to streets in protest of their vehicles not being allowed to have CNG cylinders fitted in them.

Moreover, the disgruntled van owners also complained that shifting their vehicles from CNG to petrol would require them to hike up the fee as well.

Owing to the demonstrations, children were faced with ample hurdles on their way to school with parents complaining of receiving text messages from van drivers the night before of pick and drop services remaining halted for the following day.