KARACHI, Oct 17: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the traffic police to continue their drive against smoke-emitting and noise-creating vehicles and ensure no vehicle ran on city roads without fitness certificates.

The SHC division bench comprising Justice Musheer Alam and Justice Mohammad Afzal Soomro was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Islamuddin against smoke-emitting and noise-creating vehicles as well as against illegal bus terminals in the city.

It directed the traffic police not to issue or renew fitness certificates of vehicles harming humans and the atmosphere through smoke and noise pollution.

Traffic DIG Wajid Ali Durrani appearing on court notice stated that action against polluting vehicles on court direction had been initiated by the traffic police. He submitted details of the action taken by traffic police against polluting vehicles from Jan 1 to Oct 16 and after the court order dated Sept 20.

He stated that since the vehicles were too many, a visible difference could not be noticed. Traffic police would continue action against vehicles for further three months after which, he said, the difference would be noticeable.

According to a report, some 1,394 vehicles, including 434 rickshaws, 290 buses, 113 mini-buses, 34 coaches, 201 mini-trucks, 176 oil tankers, 53 water tankers, 23 taxis, 49 pickups, 11 cars and three motorcycles, were detained for three days for emitting excess smoke from Sept 22 to Oct 16. Rs279,000 fine was also imposed on the operators of those vehicles.

It said fitness certificates of some 675 different vehicles were suspended in the said period during road checking while 963 vehicles were rejected at the inspection ground at time of issuance, renewal of fitness certificates.

Traffic police challaned some 18,330 vehicles and imposed Rs2,702,500 fine from Jan 1 to Oct 16. It also detained some 2,315 vehicles and suspended fitness certificates of 3,466 others during road checking and rejected some 8,655 vehicles at the inspection ground.

Ayaz Siddiqui, a transport department official, submitted that the Sindh government was also working on a policy of weeding out all old public service vehicles in phases, taking into consideration various factors.

He requested for the extension of the date up to June 30, 2010, after which the two-stroke vehicles would not be allowed to ply in the province. However, the government could immediately stop plying of such vehicles if the SHC did not allow any extension.

The SHC division bench, after the perusal of the record, ordered the release of vehicles which kept standard of smoke emitting and noise pollution and fulfilled the requirements to save lives and the atmosphere.

The matter was adjourned to Nov 21.—PPI