From 6pm to 6am: District govt eases ban on riding motorbikes

Section 144 was imposed on December 10 over security concerns.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: DPO Nisar Ali Marwat on Monday provided some relief to commuters by easing the ban on riding motorbikes in the city from 6pm to 6am. The decision was taken during a meeting between him and representatives of Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran (MAT) at his office.

MAT DI Khan President Raja Akhter Ali along with other members met the DPO and informed him of the difficulties faced by traders and citizens, requesting him to relax the ban from evening till morning. Following this, Marwat directed City DSP Bahwal Khan to allow motorcycles within the specified hours and to not pull over commuters. The DPO also requested the public to cooperate with the police to ensure law and order.

The district government had earlier imposed a ban on riding motorcycles through Section 144 on December 10 for a month over security concerns. Special references mentioned under the ban included “The Chehlum of Imam Hussain and the risk of terror attacks during the PK-67 by-election.”

Section 144 is imposed every year around Muharram. However, many in the city tend to overlook it, especially in remote and suburban villages where commuters can be seen riding motorcycles – including pillion riding – in large numbers.

Trader Inayatullah, 49, who rides his motorcycle to his shop in Tank Adda, said the ban became “too difficult to abide by.”

“We have our businesses to run and life must go on,” he added. “To what extent do we bear such government actions in the name of security,” he argued, questioning whether the strategy actually curbs terror attacks.

Inayatullah claimed the ban can be easily evaded by bribing the police, as “nobody goes to jail for the violation.”

Another commuter Aslam Khan said the repeated use of Section 144 is making it “more and more ineffective.” It is one thing to impose it during Muharram, but if the government starts imposing it each time for security concerns, it becomes “less respected,” he added.

This time around, however, the administration is more serious about imposing the ban and instead of issuing tickets over violations, the police is arresting offenders. Last Wednesday, City police arrested four violators and impounded their motorcycles.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2013.