Safety first?: Petitioner finds loophole in vehicle fitness requirement

Claims the law used to issue notification has yet to be passed by Sindh Assembly.

KARACHI: The transport department’s notification that makes it mandatory for private vehicles to obtain an official fitness certificate after three years has been challenged in court.

Petitioner Rana Faizul Hasan, the general secretary of NGO United Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, informed the Sindh High Court that the transport department issued the official notification making amendments to rules 35 and 53-A of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1969. By amending Section 39, it has been declared that every private vehicle, which is three years old, must obtain official fitness certificate.

He stated that such legal provision declaring it mandatory for the private vehicles to be examined for fitness is only for Karachi, where nearly 100,000 commercial rickshaws are being run without any fitness clearance.

Secondly, he argued, that the legal amendment is made through a notification instead of tabling the same in the assembly for debate.

The petitioner said that such decisions cannot be imposed on 20 million people of the city. The division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, issued notices on Monday to the home secretary, the chief secretary, the IG and traffic DIG to file their comments by the next date of hearing.

Helmet drive

The petitioner also criticised the upcoming drive that makes it mandatory for motorcycle riders to wear helmets.

Hasan submitted that the traffic DIG had issued directives through the media, declaring it mandatory for motorcyclists to wear safety helmets from June 1. The drive was later delayed by eight days.

The petitioner claimed that the law and order situation is already very precarious in the metropolis and argued that the condition for the co-riders to wear helmet will subsequently benefit criminals.

Trackers for motorcycles

The petitioner also pointed out that, instead of curbing the theft of motorcycles, Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo had recently suggested that tracking devices should also be used in new motorcycles to protect them from the thieves.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2015.