CNG cylinders underneath the Vehicle seats are Banned !

Islamabad: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) regulated Provincial Government to implement on banning the filling of  CNG cylinders fitted beneath the seats and in passenger compartments of public service vehicles and taking action against violators.

This action taken after the Gujrat human tragedy which killed many children along with their teacher..However, those vehicles which have gas cylinders on their roofs will be exempted from the ban.

However, All Pakistan CNG Association has refused to abide by the orders of Ogra. The Supreme Court had taken the notice of this tragedy and held Ogra responsible for not monitoring the CNG cylinders installed in the vehicles posing risks to the lives of the commuters.

“CNG stations violating the ban should be sealed in accordance with provincial government’s law and rules for the sake of public safety,” Ogra said.

An Ogra official said that while the directive had been sent to provincial chief secretaries and inspectors-general of police of the provinces, AJK, National Highways and Motorways and Islamabad capital territory to take action against vehicles and CNG stations violating the rules, the Ogra’s special teams had themselves taken the initiative to check CNG stations to detect violations of the ban.

The official said that Ogra teams had disconnected gas supplies to 22 CNG stations and cancelled CNG marketing licences of another two stations for violating the rules.Moreover he said CNG licences of two stations in Hyderabad had been cancelled while raids had been carried out in Khushab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Chiniot and Jhang. The action has already been started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh.

On the other hand, chairman of the All Pakistan CNG Association Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said the CNG was being provided to public service vehicles under Ogra Rules of 1992 and the ban and action being taken against CNG stations, were in violation of Ogra’s own rules.

Last week, Ogra had asked the government to impose a complete ban on filling of CNG in public service vehicles and directed the transport authorities to launch a massive crackdown against vehicles with uncertified CNG and LPG cylinders.

The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court had also taken a serious notice of the loss of precious life and property in such accidents and a case was still pending before the LHC.