KARACHI: Devolution of MVI branch hangs in the balance: Police oppose move
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, Dec 29: Despite a lapse of one-and-a-half years, the issue of privatization of the fitness certificate-issuing authority hangs in the balance, as police have been opposing the proposal.
Well-placed sources told Dawn that Sindh police had been strongly opposing the transfer of the motor vehicle inspection (MVI) and the driving licence branch for commercial vehicles to the transport and communications department of the city government, which has envisaged to bring all departments dealing with traffic and transport affairs under one umbrella.
“The two sections, purely related to policing, cannot be given under the control of the city government and our stance has been supported by the home department,” a senior police official claimed.
“Instead of shifting these sections to the transport department, the government should provide the police with modern equipment, such as brake- testing devices, smoke testers, etc., so that the efficiency of the motor vehicle fitness wing can be enhanced,” he maintained.
The performance of the motor vehicle inspection authority has remained disappointing, as the fitness certificates are being issued to such buses, minibuses and coaches which are not fit for plying on roads, the sources said.
The commercial vehicles’ owners are required to get fitness certificates for their vehicles from the motor vehicle inspection branch of the police, situated in Saeedabad.
Sources close to the MVI branch claimed that many of the transporters did not get their vehicles physically inspected and got the fitness certificates without going through the legal formalities.
The sources claimed that since the reshuffle of the staff in the MVI branch, transport operators have changed their modus operandi for getting the fitness certificates. Usually, a transport operator who owned more than three or four buses would get a fitness certificate for one of its fit buses and would affix it on one of those vehicles otherwise not fit to get the fitness certificates.
That fit bus would again be taken to the MVI branch with the changed number-plate to get another fitness certificate. Thereafter, the number-plate would be placed on the original vehicle and it would be taken out on the road. This practice continues unchecked, the sources added.
They said the lower staff at the MVI branch was responsible for tallying registration, engine and chassis numbers of a vehicle with the relevant registration book. But, they allegedly note down these numbers from the book without physically checking the vehicle.
However, officials claimed that vehicles requiring fitness certificates were examined in accordance with rules and regulations. There is a provision in the law to examine a passenger bus before issuing it a fitness certificate, they said. The length of the bus should not be more than 60 feet, width not more than 8 feet, height not more than 11 feet from the ground, they maintained.
In the same way, rickshaws, taxis, yellow cabs and other commercial vehicles are examined. Smoke from a vehicle is gauged with a device and the minibuses with tinted or decorated windowpanes are declared not fit for operation. “If such vehicles meet the requirements and appear in physical examination, the fitness certificates are issued to them,” they added.
They said a fitness certificate was usually issued for a period of six months and if a vehicle was in a sound condition, the certificate could be issued for a period of one year or more, but not more than three years. This, however, happened in rare cases.
On the other hand, thousands of smoke-emitting vehicles including police mobiles are seen plying on roads without any check, causing a rise in pollution.
A police official said that traffic police were unable to check the smoke-emitting police mobiles due to “some internal pressure”. He said a police mobile driver could be booked only if there was a fatal traffic accident involving the mobile. In all other traffic rule violations, he claimed, the police mobiles have “an exemption”.
Sources said that although the traffic police have the powers to book and impose a fine on a smoke-emitting vehicle, they did not have the power to cancel a fitness certificate which can only be cancelled by the motor vehicle inspection branch.
A traffic police official told Dawn that the introduction of ticket system had a better impact on drivers of private vehicles but no significant change had been noticed in the behaviour of commercial vehicles’ drivers.
“If the power to cancel the fitness certificates are give to the traffic police, fitness certificates of hundreds of smoke-emitting vehicles would be cancelled,” a senior traffic police official said, adding that mere imposition of fines on unfit buses was not a solution to the problem.
