SHC irked by movement of heavy traffic during day hours in Karachi

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday took exception to the authorities’ failure to comply with court orders with regard to the movement of heavy vehicles in Karachi and directed a provincial law officer to place on record the mechanism with regard to the entrance and exit of heavy vehicles in the city.

Hearing petitions against heavy vehicles running on roads in residential areas of the city during daytime, a division bench headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar asked a traffic police officer why heavy vehicles were plying the city in daytime despite the restraining court orders. It observed that goods transport trucks and other heavy traffic were seen plying the city in daytime and court orders were not being obeyed.

The bench directed the provincial law officer to submit a compliance report including a mechanism with regard to the entrance and exit of heavy vehicles in the city. The bench also directed the traffic DIG to appear before the court along with a progress report.

The SHC had earlier directed the transport and traffic authorities to ensure that the movement of heavy vehicles, except water tankers was not allowed in Karachi at any time. It had ordered that in special cases, vehicles carrying commodities for daily use could ply roads of the city.

The petitioners had submitted in their petitions that they were permanent residents of Karachi and distressed because of the prevailing traffic situation that was deteriorating day by day. They said the Supreme Court had directed the traffic police chief in August 2007 to immediately stop entry of heavy vehicles in the city during daytime and regulate their flow only between 11pm and 6am. They pointed out that despite the orders of the Supreme Court and high court, heavy vehicles were plying in every part of the city, including residential areas, threatening the lives, liberties and properties of the citizens.