Goods transporters stage strike

SHC restricted heavy vehicles’ movement within city’s jurisdiction

KARACHI: All the goods carriers went on strike in protest against the restriction imposed by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on the movement of heavy vehicles within the city's jurisdiction on Tuesday.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the transport and traffic authorities on Tuesday to ensure that movement of heavy vehicles was not allowed in Karachi at any time except water tankers or, in special cases, vehicles carrying commodities for daily use.

The SHC also directed the traffic authorities to submit details of road accidents in which heavy vehicles were involved since the beginning of the current year.



Karachi Goods Carrier Association's (KGCA) member, Fazal Jadoon, said that after the SHC's decision, they have no option but to stop the movement of their vehicles. "We are facing a 24-hour restriction inside the city," he said, adding that they could only use Northern Bypass route, which sometimes remains close for two to three days.

Northern Bypass, he said, is a single road and if any heavy vehicle breaks down, it remains close for days. The Karachi traffic police take extortion money from us and then allow us to ply our vehicles inside the city, he said.

To this, Karachi traffic police, through a press statement, said that all the allegations of the KGCA are baseless. The traffic police, according to the statement, are completely complying with the order of the courts.



However, in order to assist the economic activity of the port city, it adds, the Sindh government has allowed the movement of heavy traffic from the Karachi Port Trust through other routes, including: Super Highway to New Karachi Industrial area through the Slip Road, National Highway to Korangi Industrial Area through Dawood Chowrangi, Jam Sadiq flyover and Mehran Highway and from RCD Highway to Mai Kolachi Road through Northern Bypass.