Sindh government has approved a series of significant decisions related to road safety, vehicle regulations, and national development initiatives during its latest session on Tuesday.

According to the spokesperson for the Chief Minister, the cabinet granted approval for key amendments to traffic laws. The Chief Minister directed ministers to take all assembly members into confidence regarding the enforcement of the new traffic regulations.

The cabinet decided that all commercial vehicles must now possess a valid fitness certificate. It was also agreed that heavy vehicles would be subjected to a 0.5% registration fee and an annual tax of Rs1,000. Non-compliant commercial vehicles would face a fine of Rs10,000.

In a move to restrict the movement of aging vehicles, the cabinet approved a ban on inter-provincial movement of vehicles older than 20 years and inter-district movement of vehicles older than 25 years. Additionally, the use of substandard rickshaws and loader vehicles will be completely prohibited.

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The cabinet also set a Rs3 million annual licensing fee for the assembly or manufacturing of engine chassis, with a renewal fee of Rs1 million per year. A fine of up to Rs1 million will be imposed for illegal or counterfeit assemblies.

Regarding heavy transport vehicle (HTV) driving licenses, the Sindh cabinet made it mandatory for applicants to complete 30 hours of training. The minimum age for obtaining an HTV license was also reduced from 24 to 22 years.

Chief Minister Shah stated that a new automated penalty system would be introduced to issue instant notices for traffic violations. Repeated violations, such as the use of tinted windows, could lead to fines of up to Rs300,000. He also announced the establishment of special traffic courts to ensure swift resolution of cases.

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In his address to the cabinet, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated that the federal government had acknowledged the performance of Sindh’s institutions, particularly in the reconstruction of homes for flood victims and the expansion of SIUT (Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation), which he said had become national model projects.

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He informed the cabinet that the federal government had allocated Rs9 billion to the Sindh government for projects in Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including house reconstruction for flood-affected populations and the establishment of SIUT hospitals.

He added that the Sindh government would set up SIUT hospitals in Rahim Yar Khan and Rawalpindi, with Rs2 billion allocated for the former and Rs1 billion for the latter. He noted that Rs500 million would be set aside annually for operational costs, and that third-party audits and quarterly reporting would be mandatory to ensure transparency.

The Chief Minister said that part of the Rs9 billion fund would also be used to rebuild homes for flood victims in Sohbatpur, Jaffarabad, and Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan, for which Rs2 billion had been approved. Similarly, Rs1 billion would be allocated for housing reconstruction in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) had been appointed as the implementing agency.

He further stated that, due to higher construction costs in remote areas, the cabinet was considering increasing the cash assistance for affected families.