Putting foot down: 500 VIPs ticketed within 10 days

Traffic police’s rapid response squad acts against violations

PESHAWAR: In an unusual development on the roads of the provincial capital, around 500 VIPs have been fined for violating traffic rules over the past 10 days.

The rapid response squad of traffic police was established to keep tabs on high-performance vehicles like XLIs, pickups and SUVs zipping through the city’s streets. These vehicles are often used by government officials, politicos, servicemen and other VIPs. They were seldom fined in the past as locals blamed traffic cops for taking down the poor alone.



The squad has seemingly proved to be true to its name.

“If we turn a blind eye towards the traffic violations of VIPs and fine ordinary citizens alone, it means that our new traffic warden system is of no practical use,” said an official of the traffic police, adding this is the reason why IGP Nasir Khan Durrani issued directives in this regard.

“The squad’s four sub-inspectors have been provided with cars, video cameras as well as pen-cameras and on-the-spot payment machines. The squad also has a traffic education mobile at its disposal,” he said, adding that in the past 10 days 500 VIPs, including MPAs, judges, lawyers, commissioners, bureaucrats and army officers, have been ticketed.

“The SIs are required to record the entire process of dealing with traffic violators on their pen cameras so that no one can blame or question the ticket at a later stage. They have also been asked to use cameras to record the violations so that the video tapes can be used as evidence.” The official said the squad will not deal with buses, rickshaws, motorbikes and light-duty vehicles.

“They collect fines on the spot and issue a receipt to the vehicle owner. So far the most common violations found have been the use of tinkered glass, use of mobile phones during driving and avoiding the use of seat belts,” he said. “The VIPs had to pay fines between Rs200 and 600. The squad has been deployed in areas where traffic wardens have been appointed.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.