To control the rising fatal traffic incidents in Karachi and other parts of the province, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday made significant decisions and directed the authorities concerned to implement them.
As per details, in a high-level meeting held in Karachi, CM Shah made random drug testing mandatory for drivers of both heavy and light vehicles across the province.
He restricted the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour for heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) operating within Karachi.
CM Murad expressed deep concern over the rising number of road accidents, calling them intolerable and tragic, saying that mothers are losing their children.
He ordered traffic and district police to work jointly, saying: “I want road accidents to be prevented, not just reported.”
The CM instructed that all HTVs, LTVs, and public service vehicles (PSVs) should be equipped with trackers and dashboard cameras. Additionally, the installation of under-run protection devices has been made mandatory for both heavy and light vehicles.
He declared that water tankers with leaking tanks or without baffle plates would no longer be allowed on the roads. Vehicles with cancelled fitness certificates will be impounded and only allowed back after clearance from the transport department, he maintained.
The chief minister also made international-standard training mandatory before the issuance of driving licences, and proposed a demerit point system for licence holders. He called for a crackdown on unauthorised number plates, tinted windows, illegal sirens, and flashlights.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, along with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General (IG) Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Additional IG Javed Alam Odho, Secretary Excise Saleem Rajput, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, DIG Driving Licence Iqbal Dara, DIG Traffic Peer Muhammad Shah and other relevant officials.
