SHC summons transport secretary for explanation on use of CNG.

Byline: Ishaq Tanoli

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court on Thursday summoned the transport secretary for Feb 14 to explain whether any mechanism was in place for issuing fitness certificates regarding the CNG kits being used in vehicles.

A two-judge bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar also directed the SSP traffic to come up with a progress report on the action taken against intercity vehicles using CNG despite a ban.

When the bench took up a petition against traffic police and substandard CNG cylinders being used by public transport, the petitioner submitted that the transport and mass transit secretary had issued a notification in May 2015 imposing a ban on the use of CNG in intercity vehicles under the Provincial Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1995 in the larger interest of public safety. However, he submitted that despite the ban, CNG kits and cylinders were being used in such vehicles as well as in school vans.

A focal person for the transport department admitted that the notification was in field, but there were many issues in its implementation.

The traffic SSP also appeared before the bench and submitted that around 1,800 CNG cylinders had been removed from such vehicles, but conceded that the number of such vehicles was very high.

The bench directed the secretary for transport and mass transit to appear at the next hearing and explain if any mechanism or procedure had been laid down for issuing fitness certificates about CNG kits and cylinders in vehicles.

Muzammil Mumtaz had moved the SHC after a rickshaw driver had set himself on fire at the traffic police office in Saddar in protest after being fined by traffic police for not paying them a bribe and later died in a hospital.

The petitioner contended that the rickshaw driver was compelled to commit suicide as money was extorted from him at least thrice and alleged that it was a routine in Karachi that traffic police demanded bribes from rickshaw drivers and motorbike riders on main roads, and on refusal they imposed undue fines on them.

The petitioner maintained that substandard CNG cylinders were being used in public transport despite clear directions of the court and no action was being taken against such vehicles. Impleading the home secretary, transport secretary, traffic DIG and others as respondents, he asked the court to direct the respondents to take action against traffic policemen demanding bribes from public transport operators for using substandard CNG...