Road traffic crashes (RTCs) in Punjab surged by 29% in January 2025, contradicting claims by the City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) about improved traffic management.
The alarming trend comes despite the recent upgradation of the CTO post from SSP (Grade 19) to DIG (Grade 20).
According to official data from the Punjab Emergency Services Department (Rescue 1122), the province witnessed a 16.08% overall increase in emergencies last month, raising concerns over public safety and the effectiveness of traffic enforcement measures.
Punjab reported a total of 196,963 emergencies in January 2025, compared to 169,625 cases in January 2024.
The most notable increases were recorded in road traffic crashes, with 38,791 cases reported, up 29% from 30,063 in January 2024. Fire incidents also saw a sharp rise, reaching 2,356 cases, a 37.3% increase from 1,716 last year.
Medical emergencies increased by 12.3%, with 135,191 cases compared to 120,363 the previous year. Crime-related emergencies jumped to 3,132 cases, reflecting a 22.6% increase from 2,555. Additionally, electric shock incidents rose by 21%, with 400 cases reported, while animal rescues reached 722 cases, marking a 15.2% rise from 627 cases in January 2024.
These figures contradict claims by DIG Athar Waheed, who, upon taking charge as Lahore's CTO, promised strict enforcement of traffic laws and a reduction in road accidents.
DIG Athar Waheed, who replaced SSP Ammara Athar - his predecessor and wife - had pledged to curb RTCs, yet the 29% surge in accidents raises doubts about the effectiveness of his measures.
In Lahore alone, road accidents continued to dominate emergency responses, prompting Dr Rizwan Naseer, Secretary Emergency Services, to express concerns over the rising fatalities and injuries.
Dr Rizwan Naseer, while chairing a monthly operational review meeting at the Emergency Services Headquarters, highlighted that 72.3% of RTCs involved motorcyclists.
He urged motorcyclists to adopt safety precautions and called for stricter enforcement against reckless driving.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ