Heavy traffic banned in Hyd from 6am to 11pm

DC issues orders days after truck ran over people standing by roadside, killing one, injuring four

HYDERABAD:

Two days after a truck ran over people standing by the roadside, killing one and injuring four of them, the district administration seems to have risen to the problem of movement of heavy transport vehicles in the city during busy hours.

However, the district police and the traffic police are yet to wake up from their slumber of alleged connivance with the traffic violations committed especially by the heavy transport vehicle (HTV) and public transport vehicles.

Although Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Tariq Qureshi on Monday night ordered a ban on the entrance of HTVs in the city limits from 6am to 11pm, the police action still appears lacking.

Neither FIR of the incident has been lodged nor the concerned traffic cops, who allowed the truck to enter the densely populated area, Sakhi Pir, during busy hours, have seen their heads rolling.

The DIG Traffic Hyderabad Fida Mastoi said the district police is supposed to take action over the incident, assuring that he will direct the traffic wardens to regulate the movement of HTVs in future. SSP Hyderabad Amjad Shaikh when asked to comment on the police inaction replied that SSP traffic can better respond to the situation.

Meanwhile, DC Qureshi acknowledged in his office order that the January 6 accident in Sakhi Pir, which according to him occurred at 10.15pm, necessitated his ban. "I do hereby impose complete ban on the entry and running of the heavy vehicles into the city limits between 6 am to 11pm," the DC ordered, "to alleviate the traffic congestion, enhance road safety, avoid tragic accidents, create a more conducive environment and to improve the overall flow of traffic."

Read No improvement in city’s perilous, deadly, chaotic traffic

He stated that the movement of HTVs within the city during the rush hours increased the threats of the road accidents in addition to making the traffic management on congested roads a daunting challenge. The DC underlined that all the previous permissions or approvals issued by his office to allow the movement or entrance of the HTV inside the city have been cancelled and withdrawn.

The DC asked the SSP Shaikh to implement his order in letter and spirit and to bind his lower formations to be more vigilant and to enforce the traffic regulations to prevent such accidents. Shahid Hussain Bhatti, 45 years old, had lost his life in that incident while 55 years old Mushtaq, 35 years old Muhammad Shahid, 40 years old Javed and 30 years old Waseem were injured. Asim, brother of Waseem, told The Express Tribune that his brother underwent a surgery of his right leg in a hospital in Hyderabad. According to him, a former MPA visited them in the hospital along with the truck's owner.

SSP Shaikh did not reply when asked why the FIR is not being registered on the state's complaint. The truck's driver Muhammad Iqbal Arain, who belongs to Lodhran, Multan, was caught and beaten by the local people before the police took him into custody. He has still not been released and the vehicle was also impounded.