Covid-19: RTA accelerates operation against SOPs’ violators

Rawalpindi: Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Rawalpindi on the directives of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Anwar-ul-Haq, has accelerated its ongoing operation against COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) violators.

According to Secretary, RTA Rawalpindi Rashid Ali, the authority on the directives of the DC had launched a campaign to ensure implementation of the SOPs. He said the teams of the authority conducted raids and checked implementation of the SOPs at different routes while those found indulged in violations of the SOPs were fined and the vehicles were also impounded during March.

He informed APP that fines amounting to over Rs130,500 were imposed on the violators during last month while 171 vehicles were challaned and 170 impounded on violation of coronavirus SOPs issued by the Punjab government to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Mobile squads were also performing duties at different public transport terminals and at various routes to facilitate the people, he added. He said, the operation would continue and the vehicles found involved in violating the SOPs would be imposed fines or impounded.

It is pertinent to mention here that despite a surge in COVID-19 cases in Rawalpindi district, the public transport, especially the van and Suzuki pick up based transport, poses a serious threat to the residents due to non-compliance with the SOPs as social distancing for prevention of coronavirus pandemic are being violated despite warnings and fines by the authorities concerned.

The district administration is taking strict actions against the transporters, shopping plazas, marriage halls, restaurants and other public places for not following all the precautionary measures.

A large number of vehicles were being inspected and fines were imposed by Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Rawalpindi but still, the transporters, drivers, and passengers are not fully following the SOPs which may cause danger to the health system.

The majority of the citizens are not observing social distancing in the local transport and the transporters are just concerned about earning money through accommodating maximum passengers in a van or Suzuki pickups. Hundreds of vans and Suzuki pickups are plying as public transport and hundreds of passengers have no options except for using these over-crowded vehicles on different routes.