Court asks how fitness certificates are issued to buses, school vans using CNG

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the transport and mass transit secretary to explain as to whether any mechanism or procedure had been laid down for issuing fitness certificates with regard to CNG kits and cylinders being used in public transport vehicles and school vans.

The direction came on a petition of Muzammil Mumtaz Meo who sought action against the use of CNG kits and cylinders in public transport vehicles and school vans. The petitioner also sought action against the police officials who demanded a bribe from a rickshaw driver, due to which the latter set himself ablaze at a traffic police office and died.

The court was informed that in the interest of the public safety, the Sindh government had imposed a ban in 2015 on the use of CNG in the inter-city public transport in the province. Focal Person for the Transport Department Yar Mohammad submitted that although the notification of the ban had been issued, the department was facing several issues regarding its implementation.

As many as 1,800 CNG kits had been removed from vehicles, the SSP traffic informed the SHC. The officer, however, added that many such vehicles were still plying on roads as their number was very high.

A division bench of the high court, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, inquired the transport department focal person which authority was granting fitness certificates to such vehicles and what action was being taken to implement the notification. The SHC directed the transport secretary to explain on February 14 the mechanism or procedure for issuing fitness certificates to the vehicles with regard to CNG kits and cylinders.

According to the complainant, substandard CNG cylinders were being used by the public transport vehicles despite clear directions of the court against it. The petitioner also requested the SHC to direct the DIG traffic to take action against traffic cops engaged in demanding bribes and restrain the public transport vehicles from using substandard CNG cylinders.

Regarding the case of the rickshaw driver who self-immolated, the petitioner submitted that the driver was forced to commit suicide as earlier he had to pay extortion to the police for at least three times. The petitioner alleged that it was a routine in Karachi that traffic police were engaged in demanding bribes from rickshaw drivers and motorcycle riders, and they imposed undue fines on the drivers in case they refused to pay the bribe. —