In the works: New traffic management service aims to keep wheels rolling

First phase of scheme likely to begin first week of March.

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police is planning to revamp the traffic management system in the provincial capital by introducing a new traffic warden service.

According to a handout issued by the Central Police Office on Thursday, a meeting was held to discuss proposals for the new service. IGP Nasir Khan Durrani was briefed about the new scheme by the DIG Traffic and SSP Traffic Peshawar.

The traffic warden service will be launched in phases, the first of which is likely to begin in the first week of March, stated the handout. In the meantime, the provincial police plans to recruit suitable personnel for the new scheme.

The service seeks to facilitate the public and ensure transparency. “It includes a mobile traffic workshop unit, an accident recovery unit and a traffic education and awareness unit,” the handout read.

According to the dispatch, the mobile traffic workshop unit will enforce traffic rules while the accident recovery unit will tow away vehicles which have either broken down or been damaged in accidents.

“Traffic education and awareness unit will visit educational institutions to raise awareness about traffic rules,” stated the handout. “This unit will also include a mobile driving licence issuing unit which will issue learner permits to eligible citizens.”

A helpline and FM radio channel will also be launched to streamline the traffic management system, as per still unconfirmed plans.

“Citizens will be able to call 1915 or tune into FM radio channel for updates on the traffic situation in the city,” the handout said.

Under the new service, the manual system of issuing challans will be shelved in favour of a more transparent method of issuing tickets and fines through an automatic software.

“There will also be an internal vigilance unit to monitor the activities of traffic wardens,” the handout said. Lastly and most importantly, the service will be introducing the modern concept of disciplining drivers through a de-merit point system.

During the meeting, the IGP informed participants that the provincial government will be requested to establish a Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) and ensure provision of traffic signals in the city.

Traffic congestion is a pressing concern in Peshawar and the absence of a dedicated traffic engineering body has further aggravated the problem. In order to address these challenges, the provincial government had tasked the provincial police some months ago to streamline the existing traffic management system.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2015.