KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the transport secretary and the city traffic police chief to immediately enforce the ban on movement of heavy vehicles in the city during the daytime.

Headed by Justice Nadeem Akhtar, a two-judge bench directed the deputy inspector general of [traffic] police to deploy an extra, efficient and effective force to implement the apex court’s orders in letter and spirit and take action against traffic violators.

Faisal Bangali and other concerned citizens had moved the SHC against the relevant authorities for failing to enforce the ban on the movement of heavy traffic on roads during the daytime.

They asked the court to issue directives for the authorities to improve public transport and introduce other alternatives to help commuters and reduce the burden on the existing transport. The court was further asked to order the authorities to strictly conduct fitness tests of vehicles running on city roads.

The bench issued notices to the secretaries of the transport department and local government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Development Authority, Defence Housing Authority, Clifton Cantonment Board and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency to file their comments on the petition.

The transport secretary and the DIGP [traffic] were directed by the court to turn up with detailed reports specifying the measures they had taken to stop the flow of heavy traffic on roads during the specified timings.

The petitioners submitted that they were perturbed by the present situation of traffic in the city, which was deteriorating day by day.

They stated that the apex court had passed an order directing the traffic DIGP and the municipal authorities to immediately stop heavy vehicles from plying on roads in the daytime to maintain smooth flow of traffic. Subsequently, the city commissioner also banned the movement of heavy traffic from 6am to 11pm for three months.

Nevertheless, they complained, heavy traffic was still freely plying on roads during the specific timings, taking a heavy toll on smooth flow of traffic and posing an imminent threat to the lives of people, the petitioners lamented.

The petitioners said the respondent authorities were bound to enforce the court orders for the improvement of traffic and safety of the public, but they had miserably failed to discharge their duties and implement the orders.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2017