Road safety: New bureau to resolve traffic problems: Rana Maqbool

Solar-powered traffic signals to be introduced in the city.

LAHORE: The establishment of the Road and Transport Management Bureau (RTMB) will help resolve traffic congestion and road safety problems, Chief Minister’s Special Assistant Rana Maqbool Ahmad said on Tuesday.

He was presiding over a meeting of the Traffic Reforms Committee.

“The structure of Road Transport Management Bureau has been finalised. It will consist of a policy unit and a technical unit. Representatives of all relevant departments will be included in it,” he said.

He said that Citizen Facilitation Centres would be set up at district level. “The centres will deal with all traffic related issues under one roof, including fine collection, driving licenses, fitness certification, route permits, insurance certification and motor vehicle registration,” he said.



He also directed the departments concerned to take steps to deal with traffic jams with coordination among them. He said that Punjab Police personnel should also be deployed in busy areas along with traffic police to deal with traffic jams.

He said more Punjab Driving Education Centres (PDEC) would be established to facilitate people.

Special Monitoring Unit Senior Member Salman Sufi said that all traffic signals of the city would be run on solar energy. He said that a pilot project for designating separate lanes for motorcyclists would be launched soon. He said that project related to payment of traffic challans through ATMs was also under consideration. The Excise and Taxation secretary, the Lahore CCPO and  the Home Department additional secretary  were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2016.