SHC moved against heavy vehicles’ movement in city during daytime

A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court, seeking implementation of traffic laws with regard to heavy vehicles’ movement in the city.

Petitioner Mohammad Hassan Khan submitted that more than 773 people were killed and 8,111 injured in road accidents in 2024, while 22 people were killed and 261 were injured within 10 days of January 2025 due to reckless driving of heavy vehicles, including dumpers, in the city.

He submitted that heavy vehicles were plying in the city on route permit in form of a card welfare challan fund that they get from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000 and police just checks them and let it go without examining any fitness details.

The petitioner said that under the Karachi division (traffic engineering) Act 1985 there shall be a Karachi transport board under the supervision of the chief minister of Sindh to deal with parking, planning and road safety, but the law is not being followed in letter and spirit.

He said there were no statistical data, survey of roads, transport policy and regulation of speed of heavy vehicles and monitoring of their speed. He submitted that heavy vehicles were being operated in the city despite a ban on their movement during day timings due to negligence of the traffic police.

The court was requested to order the constitution of a transport board under the Karachi division (traffic engineering) Act 1985 and issue policy guidelines with regard to movement of heavy vehicles in the city, their speed limits, registration of vehicles and route permits.

The petitioner also requested the Sindh High Court to ensure public safety at roads and restrict movement of heavy vehicles through strict policy and check their speed when moving in the metropolis.