CTPL forwards summary to increase traffic challan rates

Fine proposed for underage driving is Rs1,000 while motorcyclists who do not wear helmets will be fined Rs600

LAHORE: The City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) has, once again, moved forward a summary to Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar for an increase in the value of traffic challans.

The summary has asked for an increase of fines, for high speeding of vehicles, to Rs750 and an increase of fines, on motorcycles, to Rs500. The summary also asked to raise fines for traffic signal violation to Rs500 and use of pressure horns on roads to Rs400.

Fine for underage driving has been raised to Rs1,000 while motorcyclists who do not wear helmets will be fined Rs600. The fine for ignoring use of seat belt has been suggested to be Rs750.

This is not the first time the CTPL has proposed an increase in traffic violation fines. In 2016, a similar summary was also put forward to increase fines. In a bid to ensure traffic rules and regulations compliance, CTPL has made various efforts. Time and again, the CTPL has also launched crackdowns as well as awareness campaigns.

However, these efforts have yet to bring a respite to the culture of traffic rules and regulation violation internalised by the public at large.

The CTPL officers have time and again professed that fines for traffic violations in the country were relaxed as compared to other parts of the world.

As part of refining traffic managements system, Punjab police has been working on curbing violations as well as improving the licencing system. Issuing of e-challans has been in practice for over a year in the provincial capital, owing to the services of Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA).

At the time of launching of the e-challaning system, Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) Chief Operating Officer Akbar Nasir Khan claimed that around 90 locations across Lahore are under surveillance. “The cameras will record traffic violations automatically after which the footage will be scrutinised manually through police communication officers at the Electronic Ticketing Centre (ETC).”

After the challans have been validated, they are vetted once again and are double checked by CTPL officials who will verify the integrity of the recorded footage, he added. “Only then will ETC dispatch the e-challan via post along with four pictures outlining the phases of the violation.”

In 2017, a high level meeting was also held for modernising the traffic management system in the province. During the meeting, Punjab DIG Traffic Farooq Mazhar claimed that the system would be at par with international standards like any other developed country. “Under the system, an online record of violations of a driver would be maintained. An electronic device will calculate these points and issue violation tickets.”

Every violation will have certain point penalties and authorities can cancel a driving licence from three months to two years, he added. “In case a violator does not pay the fine, he or she will not be able to get their documents updated. Every violation ticket carries the record of previous violation points which can also be updated online.”

A violator, on repeated cancellations of their licence, will be required to appear for a driving test and repay the fee, he explained. “At this stage, classes for driving training and traffic rules awareness will be mandatory.”

Under the new system, if a death occurs during a road accident because of traffic violation and police find the violator guilty during the investigation; his or her licence would remain suspended for two years even if the violator reaches an agreement of reconciliation with the aggrieved family.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2019.