The city administration is yet to equip Motor Vehicle Examiner (MVE) with modern technology and technical staff to conduct testing and certification of vehicles due to which most vehicles, especially public transport plying on different routes of Islamabad, are environment hazards as well as cause of accelerated wear and tear of the roads.
"The motor vehicles fitness, examination and fitness certification exist in the Motor Vehicles Ordinance. Regular fitness testing and certification of vehicles are essential components of road safety and reduction in accidents but unfortunately in our country the issue of fitness certificate is serving no meaningful purpose," a senior official told Business Recorder. He said that unfit vehicles not only caused environmental hazards but also were a major cause of the accelerated wear and tear of highway and road surfaces. The poor condition of suspension, axle and brakes, wheels, and tyres and emission of excessive smoke were the common features of unfit vehicles, he said.
The official said, "Under the law, MVE is responsible to conduct fitness testing, challan such vehicles emitting smokes and being operated in unsafe conditions and inspect them in case of an accident." He said that under the rules and regulations every vehicle owner should have his/her vehicle checked from MVE every six months but the majority of the owners do not follow the rules.
"While some people obtain fitness certificate from the authority by using some influence without presenting the vehicle to it," he said. The official said that the main reason behind the failure to enforce Motor Vehicles Ordinance was indifferent attitude of district administration.
A survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed that majority of the public transport vehicles playing in the city emit excessive smoke, had worn out seats, irregular seating arrangements and damaged floor. Majority of the vehicles' seats are uncomfortable. Some of the transporters installed more seats than approved numbers by the MVE. Tahir Mehmood MVE of capital city said that he conducted checking of vehicles on regular basis and issued challan to vehicles which did not have a fitness certificate. He maintained that he tested and issued fitness certificates to over 1000 vehicles every month.