Sindh IGP orders installation of cameras, trackers in heavy vehicles within three months

KARACHI: Sindh police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon on Friday chaired a meeting at the Central Police Office in Karachi and ordered the installations of cameras and trackers in dumpers and other heavy vehicles by their owners within three months.

The Sindh police issued a formal notice to truck and dumper owners to install cameras, trackers and protective shields around the wheels in vehicles within three months.

The meeting was attended by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Zaidi, Additional IG Karachi Javed Alam Odho, provincial transport secretary Asad Zaman, zonal DIGs of Karachi, the DIGs of driving licence, traffic, district and traffic SSPs, and other officers.

The meeting was told that during the past few months, Karachi, especially Malir and West districts, has witnessed an extraordinary increase in traffic accidents and the main reasons for these accidents are driving by untrained drivers, dilapidated condition of vehicles and roads, mental and physical health of drivers, unavailability of traffic light signals and other necessary infrastructure and the traditional system of issuing challan tickets.

Therefore, to prevent accidents, it is necessary that driving training/courses should not only be harmonized with international standards but also the establishment of authentic driving schools at the public and private levels should be ensured.

Commissioner Naqvi said both heavy and light vehicles are equally responsible for fatal and life-threatening traffic accidents on roads and highways; therefore, it is necessary that we work together to ensure immediate actionable measures to prevent traffic accidents and make all possible arrangements to keep citizens safe.

Transport Secretary Asad Zamin said the department has formally started the process of fitness inspection of commercial vehicles plying across the city. In addition, two fitness centres have been established in the province, while six more will be activated in the next few months. On this occasion, he also suggested that obtaining driving licences of different categories, especially commercial vehicles licences, should be made mandatory subject to certification from authentic driving schools.

Additional IG Odho said called for immediately formulating a strategy with the stakeholders for the installation of trackers and cameras in heavy vehicles, while the establishment of a motor training school is the need of the hour, so we have to immediately establish schools under public-private partnership.

The Sindh IGP said the owners of trucks and dumpers should ensure the installation of cameras, trackers and protective shields around the wheels/wheels in the vehicles within three months so that overspeeding by all such vehicles could be checked and necessary action taken against them.

Moreover, an awareness should also be given to truck drivers and owners at the public level regarding the cameras and trackers installed in the vehicles and the precautionary measures to be taken. He said the installation of dashboard, cabin cameras and rear/tail cameras should also be made mandatory to assess the behaviour of drivers so that in the event of any traffic accident, all necessary legal action can be made very solid and coordinated.

He instructed the Traffic Engineering Bureau to regularly determine the speed limit of heavy vehicles plying on the highways and to display boards in this regard on the sides of the highways. He further said a proposal containing all necessary and workable documents should be sent to the Sindh government to make the Traffic Engineering Bureau a traffic authority, while formal recommendations should also be sent to the government for dope/fatigue tests of drivers, doubling the fine for non-payment of challans, violation of the weight limit for vehicles, design of motorcycle number plates and other necessary measures.

In addition, an immediate strategy should also be formulated on the orders of the chief minister to make six highways of Karachi model. The IGP directed that the police, excise, transport, traffic police and other institutions should be digitally integrated with regard to traffic issues.

He said that according to a report by the Karachi Road Accident Analysis Team, trucks, dumpers, tankers, buses and trailers have been found to be involved in most traffic accidents; therefore, the fitting of necessary accessories in all such vehicles should be made mandatory at the provincial level, the aim of which is to prevent any person or motorbike from coming under the vehicles and to prevent fatal accidents. He further said that improved baffle compartmentalization should also be ensured to strengthen the brakes of water tankers and oil tankers.