One-way violators face ‘tyre killers’
Tyre killers
In a bid to curb one-way violations rampant across major roads in the provincial capital, the authorities have initiated the installation of ‘tyre killers’ at over 88 key points.
The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Ammara Athar.
Despite stringent actions taken by City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL)and other law enforcement agencies, one-way violations have remained a persistent issue.
Even penalties and vehicle impoundments have failed to deter violators.
Experts have identified road design flaws as contributing factors to the violations.
The Shahdara Mor intersection posed a significant challenge, where commuters entering from Shahdara Mor and intending to reach Farukhabad had to take a lengthy U-turn from Batti Chowk.
Similarly, drivers entering from Qartaba Chowk on Jail Road and heading to Shadman had to make a U-turn from PIC hospital, resulting in unnecessary detours.
The introduction of tyre killers and the closure of certain road cuts aim to mitigate one-way violations.
Additionally, strategies for enhanced traffic management were discussed, focusing on addressing congestion points and improving road engineering.
Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) officers assured the CTO of ongoing short-term projects aimed at redesigning and improving engineering at congestion points.
Furthermore, 28 road reconstruction projects are under way, and warning and awareness boards will be installed at 161 locations.
The tyre killers will be installed at 88 points, while unnecessary cuts and U-turns will be closed down immediately.
Plans were also made to remove temporary encroachments from 31 points without delay.
Additionally, the CTPL announced plans for additional deployment in 62 markets ahead of Eid.
A total of 362 extra wardens, 37 inspectors and 45 patrolling officers will be deployed to ensure smooth traffic flow.
CTO Ammara Athar emphasised that drivers found violating parking regulations or one-way rules will face strict action, as such violations contribute to road congestion and encroachment issues.
Overloading
An Axle Load Management System developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) in collaboration with the provincial transport and mass transit department has been used to impose fine on over 33,500 overloaded vehicles so far.
According to information shared during a progress review meeting held at the PITB office on Wednesday, more than 1,800 overloaded vehicles were identified through the weighing centres.
Since the deployment of the system, more than 47,000 vehicle trips on highways have been recorded through it.
PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf said the axle load management regime would also aid in revenue generation for the government, preserving the infrastructural assets by increasing the life of roads and reducing the maintenance cost.
The system aims at enhancing the road safety of travellers by restricting overloaded vehicles from roads and ensuring transparency in freight forwarding for government departments, officials said.
Meanwhile, at least 11 people died, whereas 1,350 were injured in 1,259 road traffic crashes (RTCs) recorded across Punjab during the last 24 hours.
According to official data, 28 trucks, 1,085 motorbikes, 97 auto-rickshaws, 127 cars, 23 vans, nine buses and 124 other types of vehicles and carts were involved in the road traffic accidents.
Of the victims, 594 people with severe injuries were shifted to different hospitals, while 756 with minor injuries were treated at the incident sites by Rescue Medical Teams.
At least 73 per cent of the road accidents involved motorbikes.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2024.