Punjab traffic police stress stricter fines aim to improve road safety

Punjab DIG says 25.5m vehicles overwhelm old laws, stricter fines needed as low penalties fail to deter violations

Punjab traffic police authorities on Tuesday defended the recent amendments to the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965, asserting that the revised penalties are not meant to burden citizens but to ensure long-ignored traffic laws are finally enforced.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, DIG Traffic Muhammad Waqas Nazir said Punjab now has over 25.5 million registered vehicles, with nearly five million travelling across provincial roads daily — a traffic volume far beyond what the decades-old legal framework was designed to handle. He said authorities were compelled to increase fines after repeated violations showed that “low penalties were no longer acting as a deterrent.”

ضلع وہاڑی میں ڈرون کیمرہ جات کے ذریعے ٹریفک قوانین کی خلاف ورزی کی مانیٹرنگ جاری ہے جبکہ ٹریفک کوئیک فورس کی خصوصی ٹیمیں بھی تشکیل دے دی گئی ہیں#awearness #PublicSafety #trafficlaws @GovtofPunjabPK @OfficialDPRPP @DgprPunjab @TeamMNSharif pic.twitter.com/oLOK07C0Y4

— TRAFFIC POLICE PUNJAB OFFICIAL (@PunjabTraffic) December 2, 2025

Implementation of the amended law began last week, and early signs indicated improved compliance. “On social media, people are mocking the laws and claiming we are destroying young people’s futures,” he said. “The reality is simple: follow the law and you will neither face an FIR nor a fine. These measures apply only to those who violate rules.”

The DIG clarified that underage drivers would not be booked, despite rising fatalities involving minors behind the wheel, adding that the chief minister had categorically directed police not to register cases against children, though strict action would continue against adults who allow them to drive.

He added that enforcement against commercial vehicles had been intensified and emphasised that the revised penalties apply equally to all, including police officials and government employees. “We have impounded government vehicles as well. No one is exempt,” he said.

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He noted that over Rs5 billion worth of challans had been issued so far this year, underscoring that nominal fines had failed to alter driver behaviour. “Penalties are meant to enforce discipline on the roads, not fill the treasury,” he said.

Nazir urged public cooperation, stressing that the purpose of the amendments was not revenue generation but saving lives. “Our success is not in issuing challans — it is in ensuring compliance,” he remarked, adding that driving licence centres across Punjab would now remain open 24 hours, while 35 mobile licencing vans had been deployed across districts.

Awareness campaigns and enforcement drives would continue in parallel.

Police tighten internal discipline

In a separate development, Lahore CCPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana chaired a meeting to review internal discipline and directed personnel to strictly adhere to approved uniform patterns. He warned that the use of unauthorised designs would result in departmental action.

Kamyana also expressed displeasure over fake or improper number plates displayed on official and private vehicles of police staff. He barred all personnel from driving vehicles without approved registration plates and ordered divisional SPs to ensure compliance, warning that supervisory officers would be held responsible for violations within their ranks.

“Discipline, uniformity and respect for the law are essential for the police’s credibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, CTO Athar Waheed said strict enforcement had already led to a “visible behavioural shift,” noting a significant rise in helmet usage among motorcyclists. He said more than 5,000 helmets had been distributed free of cost, but real improvement only followed stringent enforcement.

He highlighted recurring issues such as wrong parking outside wedding halls and educational institutions, which cause major traffic blockages but are often unfairly blamed on the traffic police.

Waheed warned that under the revised penalty schedule, driving without a licence would now result in both a fine and an FIR. “There will be no leniency. Lahorites must follow traffic rules — no excuse will be entertained,” he said.