Covered vans must obey highway discipline

NEARLY all covered vans have extended cover by two to three feet beyond their original design and these unauthorized modified vehicles are blamed to be a major contributor to highway accidents around the country. A leading media outlet on Monday said that owners of covered vans have demanded the government to legalize the modifications done to the original design of their vehicles, at a time when the government formed a committee to check such illegal modification.
Giant sized covered vans which are modified beyond their original extent bear colossal hazards for people’s lives on roads and other vehicles’ plying on both the highways and sub-ways. So, it is direly needed to impose categorical restriction upon covered vans’ plying and check modifications to avoid irregularities caused by these vehicles.
There are reportedly more than 17,000 covered vans in the country. All covered vans in the country were being modified from time to time. The owners claimed the modifications were necessary as they did not have hydraulic machines to load goods, and the extra space at the back was necessary for manual transfer of cargo. Modified vehicles were unstable, which led to overloading, tyre explosions, brake failure and faulty axles, and the most dangerous modifications were done to trucks. The owners not only extended the trucks’ length and height, but also the width, which is the most dangerous thing. When a vehicle is modified its centre of gravity shifts and it increases the probability of accidents. Modified vehicles needed to be tested before being allowed on roads. On the other hand, overloading of covered vans is a major factor for damage of roads, but government fails to check it for non-cooperation of the transport owners and related union leaders. What appears important is the lack of attention to such experts’ suggestions, who are saying that the government should fine the owners and dump the vehicles.
The Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983 needs to be properly implemented along with Road Transport Act to bring discipline on the Roads and Highways. Moreover due to lack of political will road-centric crises are not being mitigated. Since modified vehicles are a major contributor to frequent traffic congestion and accidents, the committee should act efficiently. It must function beyond political consideration that may smash the door of the positive will. To save the lives of people in roads, there is no alternative except to eradicate unauthorized modified covered vans plying on roads.