Ban on CNG - and LPG-run school vans soon

Karachi
CNG- and LPG-run vehicles will soon be banned from transporting schoolchildren in Karachi, the city’s traffic police chief said on Saturday.
Karachi Traffic DIG Amir Ahmed Shaikh told The News that he had written a letter to the transport secretary to impose the ban, copies of which were sent to the city’s commissioner, the IGP and the additional IGP traffic and the proposal had been accepted.
“The traffic police will soon start a drive to implement the ban,” the official added.
In his letter, the city’s traffic chief wrote that a meeting was held with the officers of transport and revenue departments on July 30. In that meeting, a summary was moved to the competent authority for imposing a complete ban on using CNG in public transport vehicles over safety risks. However, in the first phase, the provincial transport and mass transit department had banned using CNG in intercity buses only.
The official pointed out that the use of CNG and LPG in vehicles carrying school and college students was extremely dangerous as was evident in the tragic mishaps that occurred in Gujrat and Nawabshah.
Therefore, he requested in his letter that a partial modification should be made in the earlier notification issued by the transport department by imposing a ban on using CNG and LPG in school and college vehicles too.
Shaikh said the secretary transport had assured him that the notification would be amended.
Earlier on Saturday, the DIG traffic held a meeting with judicial traffic magistrates and traffic SSPs, DSPs and section officers of the West and South districts.
It was decided that the traffic police would launch a campaign from August 10 against people travelling on the roofs of buses and those who violated traffic signal rules.
In the second phase of the campaign that will start from August 21, the violators will be meted out strict punishments.
It was also decided that action against six-seat, nine-seat, 11-seat and Qingqi rickshaws would also be intensified.
The issue of the CNG- and LPG-run vehicles transporting schoolchildren and corrupt cops in the department was also discussed.