KARACHI, June 13: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over existing system of vehicles' fitness and stressed the need for setting it on modern lines.

He was speaking at two different meetings at the Governor’s House which reviewed matters pertaining to vehicles' fitness, checking of smoke-emitting vehicles and making driving license issuances transparent.

Mr Ibad observed that public-private partnership could bear better results and outsourcing of vehicles' fitness system could make it transparent and effective.

Necessary amendments, he said, have been made in relevant laws and now the purpose would be achieved in a transparent manner, according to the law.

He said automobile companies had better and modern resources and if these are utilized, only roadworthy vehicles could get fitness certificates.

Ways and means to ensure compliance of environmental requirements also came under discussion.

The governor told the meeting that on directive of Sindh High Court, the provincial government was carrying out a programme to check smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles. He called for taking transporters into confidence to make a progress.

He further stated that the government was offering special benefits to introduce 8,000 CNG buses on Karachi roads during the next five years. To achieve the plan, transporters would be provided with 80 per cent amount as loan, while mark-up would also be paid by the federal government, he added.

Taking stock of driving license issuance system, Dr Ibad stressed the need for linking the system with NADRA across the province. He also emphasised on improving testing standards and ensuring issuance of driving license only to competent persons.

It was decided that literacy and written test would be made mandatory for license-seekers.

Secretary of transport Nasir Hayat, DIGP traffic Falak Khurshid and KMTC DG Malik Zaheerul Islam apprised the meeting about the details of relevant matters and presented recommendations.

The governor was informed that rickshaws will be banned in Karachi by July 2007 and people engaged in this business will be provided with incentives and facilities so that they can carry on their livelihood.

In another meeting, the governor was informed that during the current year, a revenue of Rs4,205,933 had been generated in heads of motor vehicle inspection, while a survey on environmental pollution revealed that ratio of hazardous gases like methane, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide had been increased in the city.

The survey conducted, in collaboration with SUPARCO at 26 places of the city, found that the main cause of intensifying pollution was increasing owing to increase in the number of diesel vehicles and poor motor vehicle inspection.

The officials recommended to the governor to impose a ban on two-stroke vehicles as they were playing an important role in increasing environmental pollution.

The governor asked for setting up a modern motor vehicle inspection unit, in collaboration with automobile companies and investors, near Northern Bypass so that both heavy and commercial vehicles could undergo inspection at a single place.

He instructed the authorities to complete the inspection process in a minimum time period to ease difficulties faced by the people who had to get their vehicles inspected once a year.

He also stressed the need for seeking cooperation of world-renowned companies to modernise the inspection process and for a thorough utilisation of government machinery to help them.

He called for constitution of a technical committee, comprising expert engineers from automobile companies for seeking recommendations from diesel, petrol and CNG vehicles' experts to modernise the inspection process.

Dr Ibad hoped that modernised motor vehicle inspection system would be proved as role model for the whole country and would help in raising awareness among drivers about global issue of environmental pollution.

He said people should be allured towards environment-friendly machinery while putting legal curbs on smoke-emitting vehicles, the major cause of environmental pollution, in compliance with High Court's order and inducting CNG buses on roads.

Sindh senior minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, home minister Rauf Siddiqui, secretaries of home, excise and taxation and transport, IGP Jehangir Mirza, Karachi CCPO Niaz Siddiqui, DCO Fazlur Rehman, Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC) DG Malik Zaheerul Islam, DIGP traffic Falak Khurshid and officials of NADRA, PTCL, Caltex, Hino Pak, Suzuki, Honda, Indus Toyota Motors and other concerned organisations attended these meetings.—PPI