By Mustafa Ali
Lahore:Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif is committed to traffic reforms, in line with which a key follow-up meeting was held at the Central Police Office under the chairmanship of IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar. The meeting was attended by Additional IG Traffic, DIG IT, DIG Traffic/PHP, DIG Headquarters, DIG Operations Lahore, DPO Sialkot, SSP Traffic, AIG Operations, and AIG Admin, while all CPOs, DPOs, CTOs, District Traffic Officers, and PHP ROs participated via video link. In the meeting, it was decided to implement large-scale reforms in the traffic police in light of the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. IG Punjab briefed the CTOs, DPOs, District Traffic Officers, and Regional PHP officers about the Chief Minister’s tasks. Chief Minister of Punjab has placed special focus on improving traffic management, reducing accidents, and ensuring transparency in the licensing mechanism. Punjab Police spokesperson shared that IG Punjab has assigned officers the target of gradually reducing traffic accidents by up to 25%. Declaring e-challaning as the central pillar of traffic enforcement, IG Punjab said that the Safe Cities Authority will also provide central network surveillance facilities to the Traffic Police and PHP. Traffic officers are being equipped with body cams, and video and photographic evidence of challans will be available. Identification of 1400 points for road infrastructure development has been completed, and encroachments will also be removed in coordination with district administrations. IG Punjab, while instructing the officers, said that in traffic management, road safety, and enforcement of laws, DPOs will be equally responsible along with traffic officers. CPOs and DPOs should regularly monitor the performance of their respective CTOs and traffic officers. Horse carts, donkey and bullock carts, and motorcycle rickshaw pushcarts must not be allowed on main roads under any circumstances. Legal action without discrimination should be taken against parents in cases of traffic violations by underage children. Strict action and heavy fines must be imposed under a zero-tolerance policy for violations including one-way driving, wrong parking, overs peeding, and overloading. In case of accidents, the concerned DSP will arrive at the accident site and report to the CPO and DPO.
