KARACHI, July 25: A project for carrying out fitness tests of vehicles through the private sector and issuing driving licences as smart cards was reviewed at a meeting presided over by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Information Technology Adviser Noman Saigal and officials concerned.

The governor called for speeding up the process for early implementation of the project and expressed the hope that under the system the process could be made transparent and it would help control pollution.

The meeting was informed that fitness centres would be established at five locations in the city, where initially testing of commercial vehicles will be carried out and later other vehicles will be included.The governor asked the city government to provide appropriate locations for the centres so that work on them could get under way within three months.

It was stated that the scheme envisaged the start of a pilot project at a cost of Rs30 million whereby fitness tests of 100 vehicles could be done daily.

Dr Ibad directed the officials concerned to take steps to ensure availability of financial assistance to owners from the banks to help them make their commercial vehicles fit.

He said the objective of government was to provide facilities to people and all possible cooperation would be extended for plying commercial vehicles in running condition on the roads.—APP/PPI