Daily Times

Dozens of police officials are deployed by Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) at 5 mega road construction projects to keep the traffic normal, said a senior official at the ITP.

These mega sites are included as IJP Road, Haji camp, Islamabad Expressway, Murree Road Islamabad, Rawal dam chowk. He said it was quite difficult to manage this through limited human resources as available strength of police was already facing shortage

“In result of that deployment, traffic on these points plying regularly without any break or stop,” he said, adding that although pace becomes slow in peak rush hours but never jammed thoroughly which, he added, was possible only through extra deployment of the staffers.

In another strategy to cope with the traffic mess on major roads of the city and aforementioned construction sites, the ITP has streamline the heavy motor vehicles’ entry in the city as it has banned the entry and exit of heavy vehicles on the city roads. The entry and exit of heavy vehicles was banned completely from 7am to 11am and from 4pm to 9pm, which are peak rush hours as commuters use to travel in and out from the city for different purposes.

As per strategy, when entry or exit of these heavy vehicles opened as per given time schedule, one inspector led them throughout his respective area to keep them lanes allocated for heavy traffic.

Whoever violates these traffic rules to be faced First Information Report (FIR) along with impoundment of his/her vehicle. The ITP registered 60 FIRs through capital against one- wheelers and wrong-way users in the past few months. Previously, there was no concept of registering FIR except only fine tickets.

While talking to Daily Times, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic Dr Mustafa Tanveer recalled that E-challan has yielded very productive impacts to control the traffic violations in the city.

“First people broke their speed to avoid e-challan fine,” he elaborated, adding that a significant decline in road accidents reported in the last some months was a best indicator to examine the positive impacts of the implication of modern technology to cope up with traffic violations.

The SSP recalled the ITP used three components as an amicable solution to deal with traffic violations included as e-challan, education/awareness (on roads and traffic signals) and enforcement.

According to Dr Tanveer, this digital traffic system contains less human interference which, he hoped, will spruce up more in the future.

The available information revealed that a digital traffic system was installed almost two years back but remained not fully functional. When traffic violations massively increased, the authorities concerned took special measures while taking it seriously. Afterwards, the ITP was enabled to utilize all available resources and take strict measures against the traffic rules violators through modern equipment.

As per e-challan mechanism, digital tickets were delivered to the violators at their home addresses and registered mobile numbers with ITP. A copy of the challan was attached with the master file of vehicles at the excise office in case of non-payment of the fine within the given time. Not only this, when someone repeats the same violation, his/her record will be sent to the relevant police station that includes in her character track record.