Passenger vehicles without emergency exits to be impounded

Karachi
Urging all transporters to make relevant arrangements with 30 days, Sindh Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani on Monday announced that any passenger vehicle without emergency exits or tools would be confiscated after the deadline.
He directed the transport secretary to oversee implementation of the rules stated under MOV-1965 and MVR-1969 and ordered the transport department to start an indiscriminate campaign against violators from February 12.
Jakhrani said it was important to make sure that manufacturers of bus bodies adhered to the requirement and incorporate emergency exits in their designs. The minister also called for a ban on the production of 9 to 12-seater rickshaws in Sindh.
On his directives, a circular would be issued to all stakeholders including transport associations, police and administrative departments.
Similarly, the Transport Department also issued a circular to the Sindh IGP and other police officials, all commissioners and deputy commissioners, provincial and regional transport secretaries and others to implement the regulations of MVO-1965 and MVR-1969 in letter and spirit.

Highway crash inquiry
Another petition was filed in SHC seeking inquiry of the traffic accident on the superhighway which claimed the lives of 67 passengers late Saturday night. The petitioner submitted that such a high number of citizens had lost their lives in the road accident due to negligence of the oil tanker driver and lack of proper safety measures.
He submitted that it is the government’s duty to ascertain the facts of the incident to find out why safety measures were not taken by the administration for rescuing passengers of the affected coach and why the traffic authorities allowed them to sit on its rooftop.
He stated that more than 500 people had lost their lives in similar accidents which occurred in the recent past but no safety measures were being taken to upgrade the fire brigade and rescue departments in the province.