The driver of a dumper truck that escaped Karachi traffic police and endangered public safety on Sharea Faisal has turned himself in and is now under arrest, police confirmed on Monday.
The incident, caught on video and widely shared on social media, showed the dumper crashing into a police vehicle before speeding away.
The clip disturbed public anger and led to a sweeping crackdown on dumpers and other heavy transport vehicles across the city.
Police said the driver, now in custody, explained that he had panicked after being chased by motorcyclists and feared his vehicle might be set on fire, a reflection of recent mob attacks following fatal road accidents involving heavy vehicles.
Before the driver’s arrest, traffic police had already seized 27 dumpers and issued fines to 142 drivers under sections 99/113 of the 1965 Motor Vehicles Ordinance.
The crackdown was launched when the Dumper Association failed to produce the involved vehicle and driver, despite earlier promises to cooperate.
Authorities escalated their response after the association backtracked, further straining public patience in a city already grappling with a sharp rise in road deaths.
So far this year, more than 250 people have died in traffic accidents in Karachi, with at least 70 of those deaths linked to dumpers, trailers, or water tankers.
Reacting to the growing concern, the Sindh government has banned heavy transport vehicles from city roads during the day and imposed a 30 km/h speed limit on them. However, making sure these rules are actually followed remains a challenge.