HYDERABAD, May 20: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Friday directed police officials to ensure that all rickshaws are fitted with correct fare meters, silencers and free from smoke-emission. The court rejected compliance report submitted by the MVI and a similar report by the DPO on the ground that these were not satisfactory.

The bench comprising Justice Mohammad Mujeebullah Siddiqui and Justice Moosa K. Leghari passed the order while hearing a pubic interest litigation regarding rickshaws that are plying in the city in faulty condition and without installation of fare meters in order to charge exorbitant fares from commuters.

The court allowed an application of Zaman Khan, the general secretary of the Light Transport Rickshaw Drivers Labour Union for becoming intervenor in the matter being interested party.

Counsel for intervenor Sher Mohammad Leghari sought time for fitting rickshaws with meters.

When Additional Advocate-General Masood A. Noorani filed compliance report by MVI Saeed Mohammad, the court termed it unsatisfactory as it contained incorrect facts for which the MVI was liable to be prosecuted for contempt of court.

The court took a lenient view and for the time being issued warning to him.

“Instead of sitting in his office the MVI shall remain mobile for whole day on roads of the Hyderabad city and check whether rickshaws are complying with directives pertaining to fitting of correct fare meters and shall ensure that all rickshaws are fitted with silencer and that they are not smoke emitting”, the court ordered.

The court observed that fitness certificate of any rickshaw found plying in contravention of carriage permit issued to rickshaw and violating provision pertaining to meters, silencer and smoke may be cancelled after issuing a proper show cause notice to the driver.

Meanwhile, the rickshaw drivers have been directed to fit meters in their vehicles.

The MVI said that at the time of inspection of rickshaws for purpose of fitness certificate all rickshaws were fitted with meters which had been taken out once certificate was issued.

The MVI said he took action against 37 drivers for violation of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 and Motor Vehicle Rules 1969.

The court remained dissatisfied with the report of the DPO, saying mere issuance of directions was not enough and the DPO was directed to check personally by visiting various roads in the city to ensure compliance of court directives so that requirements of law were met.

The MVI will submit the report on the next date with necessary details as to for how many hours per day he was mobile on roads and how many roads were visited by him.

The DSP traffic was directed to accompany MVI to ensure compliance of directives of the court and he will also submit the separate report on June 1.

The DSP and MVI will submit their daily reports to the AAG, who would subsequently submit a consolidated report in the court.

Abdul Bari, a resident of the city, had filed the petition through Mukhtar Khanzada advocate, stating that around 10,000 to 15,000 rickshaws are plying in the city but none of them had fare meter.

He said the MVI should be directed to ensure that meters were fitted on rickshaw and they should be issued route permit and fitness certificate after they installed meters.

He argued if meter was fitted in rickshaw exorbitant fare could not had been charged but this illegal practice had become a matter of daily routine in the city.

He said in absence of silencers, people were faced with noise pollution which was harmful to their physical and psychological health as smoke-emitting rickshaws were not in proper condition and polluting the area.

COPYING CASES: The controller of examinations of the University of Sindh on Thursday advised students who had been reported for copying during annual examinations of 2004 of B.A (pass) part-II and B.Sc part-1 to appear before the discipline committee on May 21 at the Sindh Development Study Centre in Jamshoro.