Pindi’s traffic scenario paints bleak outlook

Garrison city reports over 0.6m instances of infractions in 2023

RAWALPINDI:

The garrison city of Rawalpindi witnessed a concerning 0.6 million instances of traffic rule violations during the outgoing year, reflecting the greater tendency of citizens to flout laws on city thoroughfares.

The Rawalpindi City Traffic Police penalised the violators and imposed fines to the tune of over Rs255.7 million. Motorcyclists emerged as the leading violators, accounting for over 275,000 infractions, followed by motorists with over 126,000 violations. Emergency vehicles were not exempt, with 85 reported violations.

A significant portion of the fines, approximately Rs115 million, was attributed to violations related to motorcycle riders without helmets, surpassing 115,000 challan tickets. Additionally, over 60,000 violations were reported for driving without a valid license.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Taimur Khan emphasised that the primary goal is not merely to levy fines through challans but to enhance highway safety by enforcing traffic regulations.

He said throughout 2023, the CTP worked towards enhancing Rawalpindi's traffic system and ensuring a smooth flow of vehicular movement. “The enforcement of traffic rules was rigorously pursued, leading to the issuance of a substantial number of challan tickets.”

According to the CTP data, a staggering Rs255.7 million was deposited into the government treasury.

Read Capital sees dramatic dip in traffic violations

Notably, buses, coaches, coasters, and other vehicles entering and leaving the city also faced consequences, with thousands of challan tickets issued for various traffic violations.

Approximately 27,622 challan tickets were issued to buses and coasters for violations of traffic rules and more than 18,000 challan tickets were issued to flying coaches.

Moreover, more than 6,000 drivers of Jeep and Land Cruiser also face the music for flouting rules.

CTP data also revealed that approximately 30,419 violations of Qing Qi rickshaws, 4765 infractions of rickshaws, 626 breaches of taxis, 5,927 violations of tractor trolleys, 6,663 of vans, 2,461 of trailers, 22,046 of mini-trucks, 17,531 of large trucks and 2,932 of other vehicles were reported.

Emergency vehicles and those engaged in construction activities were not immune to scrutiny, with 85 violations recorded for the former and 530 for the latter. Furthermore, over 60,000 violations were reported for driving without a license, while other common offences included one-way violations, driving in prohibited areas, obstructing traffic, and lane violations.

CTO Taimur underscored the commitment to enforcing traffic laws and fostering awareness through educational programmes. Looking ahead to 2024, Khan assured the public that the traffic police will continue to play an active role in ensuring safe roads and travel facilities by upholding strict adherence to traffic rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th,  2023.