Despite the directives of Islamabad High Court (IHC), the concerned authorities have failed to take any effective action against the owners of public transport vehicles who have installed more than approved number of substandard CNG cylinders.
The IHC on May 29 directed Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Secretary Ministry of Interior and Secretary Transport to remove substandard gas cylinders from passenger buses and school vans immediately. After the court order Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) have issued tickets and impounded some public transport vehicles that have installed substandard and more than the approved number of CNG cylinders. But unfortunately the ICT and ITP is not exercising the check effectively as buses with large number of cylinders, ranging from 10 to 14 on their rooftops are plying on different routes of twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Substandard cylinders can be seen fitted under the seats of public transport vehicles in defiance of government orders prohibiting use of low quality cylinders. The owners of public transport vehicles have installed two or three cylinders of low quality that do not conform to the prescribed numbers.
Commuters told Business Recorder that several people have lost their lives in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi due to use of substandard gas cylinders but the concerned authorities have failed to take any action against the owners of these public transport vehicles.
They said that public transport using substandard CNG cylinders and kits posed a grave threat to commuters hence the authorities needed to take concrete measures to put an end to this deadly practice. Spokesman ITP said that ITP had started checking public transport plying on different routes of the city. During checking traffic police had fined and impounded several vehicles with substandard CNG cylinders or with more than the approved number, he said. He said vehicles with maintenance certificates were let off, but vehicles without this certificate were being impounded.
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