Sindh Introduces Stricter Traffic Laws Amid Rising Road Fatalities
KARACHI — Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has announced the introduction of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2025, aimed at tightening road safety laws and reducing the growing number of traffic accidents across the province.
The new legislation introduces strict legal penalties for violations of the Motor Vehicles Act and makes pre-licence training mandatory for applicants seeking both Light Transport Vehicle (LTV) and Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) licences. Additional conditions have also been placed on the issuance of heavy vehicle permits.
A key feature of the bill is the launch of a demerit points system for drivers, designed to improve compliance with traffic laws and discourage reckless driving.
The move comes against the backdrop of alarming road safety statistics. According to official data, 546 people lost their lives in traffic accidents across Karachi in the first seven months of 2025, while 8,136 others were injured. Heavy vehicles were involved in 165 of the fatalities.
Breakdown of fatal accidents shows trailers caused 62 deaths, water tankers 37, dumpers 32, and buses 20. Victims included 425 men, 51 women, 51 boys, and 19 girls.
Authorities have stressed the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic rules as residents grow increasingly frustrated with deadly accidents involving heavy vehicles.
One such tragedy occurred on Rashid Minhas Road, where a speeding dumper ran over a motorcycle, killing 22-year-old Mahnoor and her 14-year-old brother, Ahmed Raza, and critically injuring their father. The incident sparked public outrage, with enraged locals setting fire to seven dumpers in protest.
Police and Rangers rushed to the scene to restore order, while officials confirmed that the dumper driver had been taken into custody.
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