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KARACHI, Nov 7: In an attempt to implement motor vehicle rules, which have been violated for more than three decades, traffic police have asked transporters to ensure that conductors put on badges and have licences issued by the competent authority.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Traffic Police, Wajid Ali Durrani, told Dawn on Wednesday that November 30 had been fixed as a deadline in this regard. Owners of buses, minibuses and coaches had been given three weeks to obtain badges and licences for the conductors, he said.
“It was mentioned in the Motor Vehicle Rules 1969 that the conductor of public transport should display a badge and have a licence. However, the rule has not been implemented since long and I am just trying to implement it,” he said.
According to a statement issued by traffic police, bus, minibus and coach owners should not employ any person as conductor, who is under 18 years of age and does not possess a licence and a badge issued by the licensing authority as provided under Rule 103 of the Motor Vehicles Rules 1969. The conductor and vehicle owner would be fined after November 30 in case of the rule’s violation, the statement added.
Anyone who wants to become a conductor by profession will have to obtain the necessary licence and badge from driving licence branches in Clifton, Korangi and Nazimabad, said the statement.
The DIG said that the decision was taken after a number of commuters complained about ‘underage’ conductors and their misbehaviour with the passengers. “We want to streamline the system and implementation of the rule will help us in keeping an eye on conductors,” he added.
He feared that some transporters might offer resistance but was more optimistic about majority of transporters, saying that better sense would prevail.
KTI hails decision
Karachi Transport Ittehad President Irshad Bukhari promised to support the traffic police in implementation of the rule and said that any campaign against violators after the expiry of the deadline would not be resisted.
He said both drivers and conductors used to have valid licences and badges before the introduction of minibuses some 30 years back. “At that time companies were operating public transport in the city and they never employed any person as conductor or driver if he did not posses a valid licence,” he added.
However, with the introduction of minibuses in the mid 70s transporters failed to keep their standards while traffic police also turned a blind eye towards traffic violations. Now around 3,300 buses, 8,000 minibuses and over 7,000 coaches are running in the metropolis, he said.
He said: “The decision taken by traffic police is a good omen. We will issue a circular asking our members to obtain licences and badges of their conductors. We will not resist if traffic police launch a drive against this violation,” he said.
Mr Bukhari offered full support to the traffic police and reiterated that past mistakes must not be repeated on any pretext. “The law must be equal for a transporter and for an influential person,” he added.
At a later stage, traffic police would implement another condition under which drivers and conductors of public transport would have to wear proper uniform, DIG Durrani said. Fare tickets would also be issued to commuters in future, he said.
“We are trying to improve the traffic system through a gradual process,” he remarked
