More driving licence branches planned

The citizens of Karachi can now get their driving licence with more ease as the driving licence department of Sindh has decided to open two more driving licence branches in the city.

In this regard, Sindh Driving Licence DIG Abdul Ghafoor Afridi told The Express Tribune that opening new driving licence branches is to provide maximum facilities to the citizens of Karachi. This facility will save the valuable time of the citizens and help them get driving licence services with ease.

The first branch is being opened at Saudabad Headquarters, the renovation work of which is in the final stages. The branch will be made operational soon. The second new driving licence branch will be opened in Gadap Town, for which a site has been selected, and further work is being done. The new branches will provide services for the issuance of all driving licences, including learning licences, new and renewal of licences, issuance of Light Traveling Vehicle (LTV) and Heavy Traveling Vehicle (HTV) licences and international licences.

Afridi said that after the operation of two new driving licence branches, the number of driving licence branches in Karachi would increase to seven, including Clifton Branch, Nazimabad Branch, Korangi Branch, Saeedabad Branch and Malir Driving Licence Branch.

The DIG further said that the Driving Licence Department is also taking two more steps to improve the services.

First, the department has asked the Karachi Traffic Police to provide their challan data so that they can know the reasons for the increasing number of traffic accidents in the city and know which drivers are violating the traffic rules or causing frequent traffic accidents.

He said that after obtaining the challan data of Karachi Traffic Police, the drivers' licences violating the traffic rules and causing accidents would be revoked, and they would not be allowed to drive. He added that after receiving the challan data from Karachi Traffic Police, it would also be ascertained whether the drivers who repeatedly violate the traffic rules are being severally punished and whether they are aware of the laws of the road or not. The data will also confirm whether the repeat offenders are addicted to drugs.

 Another important step, DIG Abdul Ghafoor Afridi said, was that the Driving Licence Department had sought online access from the Karachi Police Crime Records Office (CRO). After accessing such data, the Driving Licence Department will be able to find out whether the citizen applying for a driving licence has a criminal record. A request has also been made to the regular IG Sindh. He said that citizens from other parts of the province sometimes work as drivers in the covered areas after obtaining driving licences and then run away after committing crimes or causing fatal accidents. With this measure, it will be possible to prevent such incidents in the future, adding that if a person with a criminal record comes to get a driver's licence, he will be arrested and handed over to the operation police.

DIG Driving Licence Sindh Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said that 2,000 new driving licences are issued daily across Sindh, including Karachi, including all types of permits. There are 500 police officers and personnel deployed in all branches of driving licence Sindh, out of which 250 police officers and personnel are stationed in Karachi.

The DIG said that from August 2019 to May 2022, 467,818 learning licences, 234,130 new permanent licences, and 233,970 expired driving licences were renewed in various Karachi branches. He regretted that the driving licence department is facing a shortage of personnel and has recently requested IG Sindh for an additional 250 police officers and personnel. He said that the driving licence department has also demanded 10 per cent reward money from IG Sindh in the style of traffic police.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2022.