KARACHI, June 9: Traffic police have impounded 1,703 buses, minibuses and coaches for playing tape-recorders and for failing to ensure separate compartments for women in their vehicles, during a campaign launched on June 6.

The fitness certificates of these vehicles were suspended and their drivers were fined, a senior police official said on Monday.

Traffic police would also launch a campaign from Tuesday (today) against those passengers sitting in the women’s compartment, under section 101(2) of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.

Any passenger, found sitting in women’s compartment, would be fined Rs20, and he could be sent to court where he would be confined till the court ended its proceedings, the official said.

A major group of city transporters, Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI), supported the traffic police action but said a few complaints were received that the police let off the drivers after receiving illegal gratification.

DIG Traffic, Yameen Khan, said the police launched the campaign against the vehicles having no separate women’s compartment, as it was mandatory according to traffic rules and regulations. The police were also taking action against those commercial vehicles in which audio cassette were being played as it was also against the rules, he added.

He said a meeting of transporters was convened in May, where it was decided that the transporters’ association would ask its members to follow the rules and regulations and separate the women’s compartment besides removing audio cassette players from the vehicles.

A grace period was given to the transporters till June 4, and the campaign was launched on June 6, he added.

The KTI chief Irshad Bokhari told Dawn that he had issued circulars to all member transporters, asking them to follow the traffic rules. However, the KTI supported the move for implementing the law, as the transporters were also a part of this city and they had to respect girls and women, Mr Bokhari said.

While appreciating the campaign, he said it had improved the situation, “If we keep protesting against every step by the police, the things would never improve. We have to appreciate the steps by the police, provided these ares taken in right direction and in the interest of the people as well,” Mr Bokhari observed.

Giving a break-up, Mr Yameen Khan said that for the past four days, the traffic police had impounded 1,046 minibuses, 454 coaches and 203 buses, for violations.

A violating driver was given a token of fine, which he deposited to a designated bank and presented it’s payment slip before a police official for getting back his vehicle, he said, while adding that he had to improve his vehicle and then had to go to the Motor Vehicle Inspection department for getting restored the fitness certificate.

He said the traffic police were also considering launching a campaign against those public bus drivers, who did not have either license or Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badge, issued from Karachi.