Buckle up: Govt looking to check unfit commercial vehicles

Agreement signed with Swedish company to set up ‘fitness centres’ in the Punjab.

LAHORE:

The provincial government and a Swedish company signed an agreement regarding inspection and certification of commercial vehicles on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest at the ceremony held in Model Town. The transport secretary and OPUS Group president Carl Magnus Greko signed the agreement.

The group will set up 39 fitness stations in the province to check commercial vehicles. In the first phase of the project, three stations will be set up in Lahore. They will commence operations from June this year. The project will extend to other cities in the second phase. Seven tests will be conducted on commercial vehicles at the fitness stations to check their condition.

The group will also help commercial vehicles in obtaining licences and training drivers. Under the agreement, the group will establish a driving school for this purpose.

Sharif said this was the first public-private partnership in the services sector. Under the agreement, no unfit commercial vehicle will be allowed on the roads, he said. The vehicles will be issued fitness certificates attesting them according to international standards.

Sharif said only vehicles that met fitness standards would be given route permits. “This is an extremely important project,” the chief minister said. “It will not only improve the system of inspection and certification of commercial vehicles but also control the number of accidents.”

Sharif said training under the Swedish group would greatly benefit drivers. The project will also help control environment pollution, he said.

The chief minister appreciated the efforts and said it would help create job opportunities and increase foreign investment.

Ambassador of Sweden Tomas Rosander, Lahore Transport Company Chairman Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan, the Planning and Development chairman, the Punjab Information Technology Board chairman and OPUS International Inspection Chief Executive Officer Lothar Geilen were also present at the occasion.

Ensure trickle down

In a meeting of the provincial price control committee on Wednesday, the chief minister directed relevant departments and district administrations to take effective measures to ensure that the masses were benefiting from the recent reduction in prices of petroleum products. He also directed them to ensure a slash in public transport fares.

Sharif was addressing Ministers Bilal Yasin, Farrukh Javed, Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq and the chief secretary among other officers at the Civil Secretariat through a video link.

He directed officials to ensure that banners carrying updated fares would be displayed prominently at bus stands and at other prominent places. He ordered stern action against transporters found violating the new rates. “All divisional commissioners and DCOs should take effective measures to implement the new fares. Overcharging will not be tolerated at any cost.”

He said no one would be allowed to exploit the masses. He directed officials to inspect bus stands regularly. “Action will be taken against negligent officers while the efficient ones will be rewarded.”

Sharif said the welfare of the masses was of great importance and all out measures will be taken to protect their interests.

The chief minister also directed relevant authorities to negotiate with various associations to slash the prices of flour, poultry and ghee. “Citizens must receive the trickle down benefits of the reduction in petrol prices.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2015.