The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has made it mandatory for all vehicles, particularly passenger and cargo carriers, to have a working fire extinguisher on board at all times.
The NHMP announced the new fire safety requirements on Wednesday, stating that these measures aim to prevent fire hazards during road accidents across motorways and national highways.
An NHMP spokesperson confirmed that cargo and public service vehicles without a valid fire extinguisher will be completely banned from entering motorways and national highways starting June 25.
The motorway police have launched a fire safety awareness campaign, which will continue until June 24, giving drivers time to comply with the new mandatory safety requirements.
Drivers have been urged to ensure their fire extinguishers are not expired, as authorities confirmed that expired or non-functional units will not be accepted under the new regulations.
After June 24, all vehicles found without an active and functional fire extinguisher will face strict legal action from motorway police personnel deployed across national road networks.
The new safety directive follows a deadly accident last week, in which a van fell into a nullah on the Islamabad-Murree Expressway near Khajut, triggering a fire that killed 10 people.
The accident also left 13 others injured, highlighting serious fire safety concerns on Pakistan’s road network and prompting authorities to introduce these stricter preventive measures immediately.
