ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsman Salman Faruqui has directed the Ministry of Communications to finalise its national road safety plan by Dec 8 and set up a road safety secretariat at the earliest. The order was given after he was informed that according to international standards, the maximum length of containers should be 50 feet, but containers having a length of 70 feet and car carriers of 105 feet were running on the country’s roads which was a clear violation of law.

Last week, a meeting was held to discuss issues related to traffic on roads across the country. The meeting, presided over by Senior Adviser of Law and Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, was attended by senior officials from the communications ministry, National Highways Authority (NHA) and National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP).

The ministry’s official had informed the meeting about amendments to the Highway Safety Ordinance with respect to Highway Safety Acts of 1965 and 1969 and the present traffic situation of the country.

Mr Khokhar asked the NHMP and NHA to finalise vehicle specifications of long carriers with respect to international standards.

The NHMP official informed the meeting that according to international standards, the maximum length of containers was 50 feet, whereas carriers plying the country’s roads were 70 feet and car carriers 105 feet, which was a clear violation of law.

The president of the Car Carriers’ Association, Imdad Naqvi, also participated in the meeting through conference call and said that Motorway police had not been allowing the car carriers to run on highways and motorways for the several days.

Though the NHMP denied the allegation, Mr Khokhar, at the request of Car Carriers’ Association, asked the NHMP not to create any problem for the carriers till Nov 23.

The NHA representative informed the meeting that amendments to technical specifications of the car carriers, containers and other heavy vehicles keeping in view of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor had been finalised and the same would soon be included in the Highway Safety Ordinance 2000.

Mr Khokhar also asked the communications ministry to float an advertisement for the general public to invite their suggestions regarding the national road safety plan so that thier views could also be incorporated.

The communications ministry was also asked to establish the national road safety secretariat at the earliest.

According to an official of the Islamabad traffic police, long vehicles and car carriers have become a huge problem for smooth flow of traffic.

“They face difficulty in turning to any direction, especially in taking U-turns, besides posing problems for other vehicles plying the roads,” he said.

Published in Dawn November 21st, 2016