Crackdown on road-unfit vehicles: Goods transporters suspend operations at 3 port terminals

KARACHI: Goods transporters have suspended operations at Karachi’s ports in protest against the traffic police move to seize road-unfit heavy vehicles.

According to details, heavy transporters stopped loading goods from Karachi’s ports in response to the crackdown on road-unfit heavy vehicles. They parked their heavy vehicles at warehouses and truck terminals. They stated that operations at KICT (Karachi International Container Terminal), SAPT (South Asia Pakistan Terminal), and KGTL (Karachi Gateway Terminal) have been completely halted. They added that operations at Port Qasim will also be suspended.

As a result, a large number of import containers have started piling up at major port terminals in Karachi.

On a daily basis, approximately 7,000 heavy vehicles move in and out of KICT, SAPT, and KGT, while around 3,000 vehicles move in and out of Port Qasim. Due to the suspension of operations, the transportation of imported and exported goods has come to a standstill, with goods worth millions of rupees lying at the ports. Export cargo from warehouses has also not been able to reach the port.

Vice President of FPCCI (Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry), Amaan Pracha has demanded an end to ‘forced’ fitness checks of goods vehicles, and the release of seized vehicles.

He urged the authorities to accept the transporters’ demands so that they end the strike. He stated that the cancellation of vehicle registrations by the DIG Traffic is unjustified. He asked that SOPs should be formulated for the process. Transporters should be given sufficient time to meet fitness requirements for the thousands of vehicles involved, he said.

However, Goods Transport Association, Karachi Goods Transport, Cargo Goods Transporters Association, and other transport organisations have demanded the release of seized vehicles and requested a six-month grace period.

President of the Goods Transporters Association Tariq Gujar said they will keep their vehicles off the roads until negotiations with the government are successful and assurance given to the transporters. He noted that installing trackers, cameras, and other equipment costs around 200,000 to 300,000 PKR per vehicle. Transporters are willing to comply with all requirements issued by the Sindh government but want to set a timeframe in consultation with authorities, he said.

Chairman of the Goods Transporters Association Imdad Naqvi stated that the traffic police have so far seized around 300 vehicles.

General Secretary of Karachi Goods Transport Nadeem Arain said transporters are asking for time to comply with fitness regulations. He said the bribery practices of traffic police must stop. He demanded a six-month window to fully comply with the fitness law.

Chairman of FPCCI’s Regional Standing Committee on Transport Affairs Saifur Rehman Khan Wazir; however, emphasised that the fitness certification of more than 25,000 vehicles cannot be done overnight, and time is needed to complete the process.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025