Public service vehicles: NHMP takes steps to prevent traffic rules violations

LAHORE: DIG National Highways and Motorway Police Syed Fareed Ali has said that the rules and regulations have been made more stringent after the Kaler Kahar accident while violation of rules by public service vehicles is being strictly prevented.

He expressed these views during a meeting with the LCCI President Kashif Anwar at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI Senior Vice President Zafar Mehmood Chaudhary and representatives of Pakistan Goods Transport were also present on the occasion.

Syed Fareed Ali said that the objective of Highways and Motorway Police is to ensure the implementation of the rules. He said that the warehouses will be built on the Motorway soon. At present the vehicles take exit in the next city and unload their goods.

He said that 80% of the trucks are small and there are also trucks production of which has been stopped but they are running on the roads. He said that it is a good suggestion to set the specifications for the body.

The DG said that Punjab has a good vehicle fitness system. The Motorway Police has signed a MoU with the Punjab government to share vehicle fitness data.

He said that due to heavy traffic at Thokar and Ravi, extra staff has been deployed.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar said that to purchase new trucks, loans should be given on easy installments and with 2 to 3% markup. He said that due to violation of rules and regulations, accidents, deaths and financial loss occur. He said that the rate of fine should be increased instead registering FIRs.

He said that National Highways and Motorway Police is an ideal institution. In September 2020, the Lahore Chamber signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Highways and Motorway Police.

LCCI president said that the National Highways and Motorway Police has started strict implementation of Highway Safety Ordinance 2000 from November 15, 2023, following the orders of the High Court, which is good because the rules and regulations were being violated.

He said that the business community is facing some difficulties in this regard. He said that reducing the axle load from 90 tons to 60 tons will increase the cost of doing business. This law should be implemented in a phased manner i.e. it should be reduced from 90 tons to 80 tons and further reduced to 70 tons after a few months.

He said that the weight of cargo or loader vehicles in Pakistan is more than the international standard because of structural modification, due to which there is a big difference in body weight and cargo load. There is a need to think about this.

He said that the system of weigh stations should be taken over by the Motorway Police again and these should be established at the entry points of each district so that there is no fear of offloading of extra goods.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023