Ban on use of CNG, LPG in school vans notified

Karachi
The Sindh transport department on Friday issued a notification to ban the use of CNG and LPG cylinders in vehicles used by educational institutions and transporters of school children.
Two days ago, DIG Traffic Karachi Amir Ahmed Shaikh had requested the Transport secretary to issue a notification to ban CNG and LPG cylinders in school vans.
Talking to The news, DIG Traffic said they had given time to vehicle owners and school, college and university administrations for removing CNG and LPG kits and changing the colour of transport vehicles as prescribed by the provincial transport department.
He said a campaign in this regard will begin on August 21 and there will be no leniency for anyone found violating the rules. He said the vehicle will be impounded and a case will be lodged against the owner/driver at the police station concerned.
He said the licenses of schools administrations will be cancelled if they use vehicles with CNG or LPG kits.
Moreover, the directions also include a standard operating procedure for drivers of the vehicles and they will not be allowed to stop at any gas station with children on onboard.
The notification issued by the Sindh transport and mass transit department on Friday states: “In partial modification of this department’s notification dated May 8, 2015, after the letter ‘CNG’ wherever appearing, the letters ‘LPG’ and after the words ‘public service vehicles’ wherever appearing, the words ‘school and college vehicles’ are hereby added with immediate effect”.
Meanwhile, another notification issued makes a few amendments in the Motor Vehicle Rules, 1969.
From now on, the transport vehicle of colleges and schools and contract carriages will be yellow coloured to distinguish them from vehicles plying on the road.
The vehicles are also supposed to have an attendant for the facilitation and safety of students, an emergency exit. It has been made mandatory for buses and vans to carry fire extinguishers.
The amendments also imply that in accordance with Rule 199 of the Motor Vehicle Rules 1969, in case of any accident school managements will be held responsible.
The transport vehicles of educational institutions are also not supposed to carry any fuel cans and be smoking-free zones. They should have sliding doors and be inspected by the motor vehicle examiner every six month, besides maintaining a complaint book.
The vehicles are not allowed to make any alterations in seating capacities and their licenses can only be renewed by the excise and taxation department after verification of fitness documents by a third party.
Moreover, the college or school management will maintain a record of each vehicle and its staff.
Last year in March 2014, on the request of the then DIG traffic, the transport department had banned the use of CNG cylinders in inter-city buses.
After the Gujrat incident in 2013, the then DIG traffic Abdul Khalique Shaikh had issued directives for devising an SOP for vans transporting school children.
The issue gathered momentum in January last year when at least 21 children were killed when a school van collided with a truck in Nawabshah but no concrete steps emerged from the authorities.