Ticking bombs

Provincial governments must take note of any violations by CNG and LPG dealers and punish those who break the law.

In the wake of the Gujrat van tragedy, which killed 17 school-going children and a teacher, the authorities have finally woken up to the issue of safety measures related to CNG and LPG cylinders. A meeting between CNG and LPG dealers and Lahore’s District Coordination Officer (DCO) took place on May 30. A list of safety directives were issued so as to minimise the number of accidents involving CNG and LPG cylinders.

While the safety measures look good on paper, it is pertinent that all these guidelines are fully implemented and violators are penalised heavily. We have some very good laws on our statute books but it is a norm in Pakistan that more often than not, laws are not implemented. The culture of impunity with which law-violators operate in this country must be stopped. Ever since CNG and LPG cylinders for vehicles were introduced in the country in the light of rising petroleum prices, every other person set shop to sell these cylinders without any iota of knowledge about safety measures. Without any safety mechanism in place, these cylinders have led to hundreds of accidents, many of which have turned out to be fatal. No wonder these cylinders are often referred to as ticking bombs.

The death of 17 children finally shook the authorities enough to take notice of this dangerous trend. It is hoped that with full safety measures in place, such tragedies will not occur again. If the government fails to take any strict action against those who put public safety at risk, it is as much — if not more — complicit in the deaths of its citizens. It is the government’s responsibility to provide good public transport but since it has not been able to do so to its full capacity, it is important for the government to ensure that privately-run transport used by the public is safe. All provincial governments must take note of any violations by CNG and LPG dealers and punish those who do not follow the law. Innocent lives are at stake here.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2013.

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