Trucks, buses face smog crackdown

Emission violators given seven-day warning

LAHORE:

The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a crackdown on heavy and commercial vehicles running without fitness certification.

The move is part of efforts to curb rising air pollution and looming smog threats across the province.

After cars were brought under a 'green sticker' scheme, the EPA has now turned its radar onto buses and trucks, which officials say are the "biggest offenders" in choking Punjab's skies. EPA Director General Imran Hamid Sheikh said Safe City Authority cameras had been instrumental in catching violators

In the past 10 days, surveillance systems detected 391 commercial vehicles operating without the mandatory Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (VICS) fitness certificate. Warning slips have been issued, granting violators a seven-day window to comply. Failure to do so, Sheikh warned, will result in hefty fines, suspension of route permits, and removal of non-compliant vehicles from the roads.

"No heavy vehicle will be spared if it is found flouting emission standards," said EPA spokesperson Sajid Bashir. "Safe City cameras are recording violations in real time, leaving no room for manipulation or excuse. Buses and trucks spewing black smoke are a direct threat to public health and the environment.