PESHAWAR: After Lahore’s air pollution made headlines, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Transport Department slapped ban on dilapidated school buses.
The notification issued by the transport department ordered the private schools to replace vehicles registered with the excise department before December 2000 within a month; otherwise, the administration will have to take disciplinary action. The transport department said that most of the transport vehicles used by educational institutions, especially private schools, have become obsolete and worn out which is causing pollution.
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Last month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker directed traffic police to ban music in vehicles providing transport services to students of public and private educational institutions. The Minister for culture and labour, Shaukat Yousafzai raised the issue on the floor of provincial assembly and said that educational institutions provide pick-up and drop-off facilities to students of public and private educational institutions.
Yousafzai said that some drivers play music while providing pick-up and drop-off facilities students. The MPA [Member Provincial Assembly] demanded that an operation be carried out to remove music players.
Earlier this month, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transport department has constituted a special force of 400 men to deal with the growing air pollution in Peshawar. The force will be headed by inspector and Sub-inspector. The provincial director transport Fahd Ikram has told the media that the services of Pakistan motorway police have acquired for the training of the force.
The official said that the force will check vehicles fitness certification and will issues up to 10,000 fine, if a motorist was found polluting environment. He said that unlike the traffic police, this special force will only be dedicated to control environmental pollution. In 2016, the world health organisation has declared Peshawar the second most polluted city in the world followed by Zabol in Iran.