Islamabad     -    The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has threatened to challenge the government’s decision of banning cylinder in public service vehicles (PSVs) in court as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and Motorway police have launched crackdown on such vehicles. Following the government decision of banning the use of CNG/LPG as a fuel in all the public service vehicles (PSVs) the Motorway police started crackdown on such vehicles and banned their entry on the M1 and M2.

However, the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have not yet taken any step in this regard and the PSVs are freely running on the highways. After the imposition of ban by motorway police on the entry of PSV, with CNG/LPG cylinders, to motorway these vehicles have started using Grand Trunk (GT) road and the highway police are not taking any action against these vehicles.

On the other hand the CNG stations are selling CNG to the PSVs despite the declaring these cylinders illegal by the Ogra. It is pertinent to mention here that last month Ogra had asked all the chief secretaries and  IG motorway police to start crackdown on the public transport having gas cylinders installed inside the passenger vans.

In a letter to provincial governments and IG motorway police, Ogra had asked for the removal of CNG and LPG cylinders from the public service vehicles and school vans. “In order to ensure safety of passengers and to avoid unpleasant incidents/accidents this Authority here by convey its concurrence to the request of banning CNG/LPG Cylinders in Public Service Vehicles,” said the Ogra letter.

In the letter regarding ban of CNG/LPG as fuel and installation gas cylinders (CNG/LPG] in all pubIic service vehicles Ogra had asked all the provinces and Inspector General Motorway police to rigorously enforce Its law (Rule I99 of MV Rule 969) and immediately ensure removal ‘CNG cylinders from inside of all PSVs plying on roads along with cancellation of rout permits of all the vehicles doing the violation. Ban was also imposed on the use of CNG as fuel in  school vans.

According the Ogra’s directives all Provincial Governments as well as IG Motorways Police were requested to start crackdown against all PSVs having CNG cylinders installed inside the passenger vans.

When contacted a government official told The Nation that the selling of CNG to all the PSVs is illegal and action will be taken against all such stations involved in sale of gas to such vehicles.

All Pakistan CNG Association central leader Ghyas Paracha said that the action of motorway police to ban PSVs’s entry on motorways is illegal. “We are going to challenge it in court,” he said. Besides, he said, Ogra has no right to ban use of cylinders in PSVs as in 2013 the regulators had agreed the installation of two cylinders in the Hiace,” he said.

When asked about the CNG Association which has asked CNG stations to stop sale of CNG to PSVs, he said, “No we don’t need to do it as there are PSVs with cylinders on the roof top.” Ogra had asked only for the removal of cylinders from inside the vehicles not from the rooftop, he argued. Paracha said that there are around half a million PSVs with CNG cylinders running on the roads and completely banning CNG in those vehicles means to destroy the CNG sector. He alleged that the banning of CNG cylinder is the conspiracy of oil mafia which wants to retake the fuel market.