Daily Times

LAHORE: The City Traffic Police (CTP) Tuesday launched a massive crackdown on illegal parking stands and encroachments hindering smooth flow of traffic in the city.

In this connection, warnings have been issued to shopkeepers against encroachments and illegal parking stands on all busy roads across the city.

The CTP had earlier launched a traffic awareness campaign to educate road users about traffic laws. Special lectures were also delivered by the CTP officials at several educational institutions on road safety and traffic laws.

According to a statement, Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rai Ijaz Tuesday said that Shaheen Force equipped with latest equipment would soon be launched in the city to ensure smooth flow of traffic. “The new forces will be tasked to act readily against traffic violations, illegal parking lots and encroachments on city roads,” he said.

The chief traffic officer said that only legal parking stands approved by the Commissioner’s Office would be allowed to operate in the city, while action would be taken against all illegal parking stands.

He said that all superintendents of police (SPs) and other officials had been directed to take a stern action without any discrimination against those violating traffic rules and regulations.

He went on to say that CTP officials had also been asked to keep a vigilant eye on illegal parking lots and encroachments in the city.

Moreover, a spokesman for the CTP Tuesday said that city police, local organisations and traders unions were also involved in the traffic rules awareness campaign to achieve the desired results. He said that traffic gridlocks were not only wasting precious times of the citizens but also causing mentally disturbance to them.

He said that the traffic rules awareness drive had yielded positive results thanks to cooperation of the people, local organisations and trade unions in this regard.

He added that cases would be registered against violators of traffic rules under section 290 and 291.

Meanwhile, several commuters were of the view that illegal parking lots and ever-increasing encroachments had put a question mark on the performance of traffic police and departments concerned.

They said that the crackdown on illegal parking lots and encroachments could seldom achieve desired results as violators and encroachers were being imposed nominal penalties.

Published in Daily Times, August 2^nd , 2017.