LAHORE – More than 2,000 people have died in CNG cylinders explosions in 2011 and the figures are more likely to be doubled this year as the concerned authorities have yet to take action in this regard, stated a report published by Civil Society Front Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference at a local hotel on Monday, CSF Director Ayub Munir said that the number of people killed in CNG cylinder explosions were four times more than those killed in US drone strikes during 2011, but the issue of low-quality CNG cylinders does not get the same importance with the government or the media.
CSF presented a 14 point agenda consisting demands, solutions and precautionary measures to the government to save the lives of people.
 It demanded the government to immediately cancel route permits of all public transports installed with low-quality cylinders and to set up high-tech workshops across the country to issue fitness certificates to the vehicles.
CSF believed that OGRA Hydrocarbon Institute of Pakistan should certify the CNG workshops that they posses qualified staff and required equipment.
It demanded that the traffic police should be authorised to check fitness certificates and Remote Frequency Identification Tag be issued by a certified testing laboratory to private and commercial vehicles.
“Without traffic police support, implementation of any safety measures against CNG cylinders explosions is impossible,” the report suggested.
It also suggested that the concerned authorities while issuing route permit to any public transport, should also ensure that the vehicle possesses a CNG cylinder certificate.