Traffic reforms: SMU submits amendment draft providing for automated fine collection

Draft will be tabled in the assembly during the ongoing session

LAHORE: The Special Monitoring Unit (law and order) on Tuesday submitted draft amendments to The Provincial Motor Vehicle Ordinance of 1965 to allow collection of traffic fines via an electronic traffic management system.

The amendments, proposed under the SMU’s Transport Sahulat Programme, would be tabled in the Provincial Assembly during its on-going session.

The SMU (law and order) has suggested that the government should monitor traffic flow on major roads using cameras to eliminate loopholes in rules enforcement mechanisms.

It has proposed that in the short-term handheld cameras might be used to take photographs of vehicles violating the rules. A third party could be engaged to provide human resources for the purpose. The road staff would take photos of vehicles caught violating rules like breaking a signal and illegal parking. These personnel would send the image of the violation and information about its type and location to the traffic police’s command and control centre. The command and control centre would obtain the vehicle owner’s postal address from the Excise and Taxation Department database and send an automated receipt containing the image of the violation and particulars of the violator and violation to the owner’s home through a courier service.

Once cameras were installed on all major roads and at intersections, photos of violations could be sent to the command and control centre through an automated process.

Under the proposed amendments, violators would be given 15 days to deposit the fine at a notified electronic traffic fine payment outlet or a bank. If the fine is not paid in time, it would be linked with the registration of the vehicle and would be recovered at the time of payment of token tax or transfer of vehicle. The vehicle could be impounded over non-payment and released after the payment of fine.

The amendments also seek introduction of an incentive system for the traffic police and the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department. It has suggested that 15 per cent of the revenue from collection of traffic fines would be disbursed among traffic police personnel based on key performance indicators; 25 per cent could be spent on logistics and two per cent to be shared with the ET&NC Department.

It suggested that the share in revenue would allow the departments to generate funds for their operations without relying on the tedious process involved in release of funds from the Finance Department.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, SMU Senior Member Salman Sufi said implementation of the Electronic Traffic Violation Management System would lead to effective enforcement of traffic rules. It would promote coordination between departments concerned, he said.

He said elimination of the manual ticketing would ensure accountability of violators of traffic rules. At least 1.8 million challans over violation of traffic rules are sent to courts every year according to statistics maintained by the City Traffic Police.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2016.