Traffic fines triple as laws tightened

GUJRANWALA:

The City Traffic Police reported issuing more than 750,000 challans for traffic violations and collecting over Rs4.46 billion in fines during 2025, officials said on Tuesday.

Authorities attributed a marked decline in road accidents to stricter implementation of traffic laws across the city.

According to official data, the City Traffic Police, under the supervision of Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Ayesha Butt, intensified enforcement within the inner city and areas falling inside the bypass limits.

Special focus was placed on helmet use, seatbelt compliance, tinted windows, non-standard and missing number plates, unregistered vehicles, driving without a licence, underage driving and other violations.

In addition to issuing challans, cases were registered against hundreds of vehicle owners for serious breaches of traffic laws.

Officials said that during 2025, the traffic police issued a total of 168,470 driving licences, the majority of them for motorcyclists.

An estimated 100,000 motorcycles operate in Gujranwala, and the CTO's office launched a targeted drive to ensure that riders obtained valid licences.

The enforcement campaign resulted in over 750,000 recorded traffic violations during the year.

These included 8,808 cases of one-way violations, 19,996 violations recorded during smog-related restrictions, and 63,090 challans for not wearing helmets.

Thousands of motorists were also fined for driving without licences, using black-tinted papers on vehicle windows, one-wheeling, and illegal parking.

Officials said fines collected during the year exceeded Rs4.46 billion, nearly three times higher than the previous year — reflecting both increased enforcement and stricter penalties.

Under revised regulations, minimum fines were raised to Rs2,000, prompting criticism from sections of the public.