The Traffic Police and the Transport Department will launch a crackdown on Monday (September 16) on public transport vehicles that have installed gas cylinders in violation of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s rules.
This was decided at a meeting chaired by Acting Commissioner Najam Ahmad Shah on Friday. Shah said that vehicle owners had two days to remove gas cylinders installed inside the passenger compartments of buses and vans. “Vehicles violating these rules pose a threat to passengers and will not be allowed to operate,” he said.
Shah has directed police to arrest the owners of these vehicles instead of the drivers and other workers. “Vehicles without fuel tanks will be impounded,” he said.
He instructed the Regional Transport Authority to cancel the route permits of such vehicles.
The commissioner also told police to arrest traders selling petroleum products without permits. “We will also launch a concerted operation against decanting of gas fuel,” he said.
He said all petrol pumps and CNG stations will be inspected and unauthorised CNG stations shut down and legal action initiated against their owners. CNG stations selling gas on days off will be fined and their owners prosecuted, he said.
CPO Abdul Razzaq Cheema said that action will be taken against public vehicle owners who have installed substandard cylinders or installed cylinders inside passenger compartments. Traffic police have been directed to launch an operation in this regard, he said. OGRA Executive Director (Enforcement) Col (retd) Farrukh Nadeem spoke about OGRA rules and regulations regarding the installation of gas cylinders.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2013.