May 7, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 8, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 6: The capital traffic police would start a three-week long mass awareness campaign from May 8 to 29.

Senior Superintendent Traffic Police Dr Sultan Azam Tamori told Dawn on Saturday that during the campaign people would be educated about traffic rules and laws.

Police, in collaboration with the private sector, would visit schools, colleges, universities, private institutions and public transporters to create awareness among them regarding traffic rules, he said.

The SSP said booklets and pamphlets scribed with traffic rules and laws would also be distributed among general masses during the campaign.

The police would include students in the campaign because they were a strong force to stop violations of traffic laws, Dr Tamori said adding that the campaign would develop civic and traffic sense among the youth at an early age.

During the campaign the police would warn traffic law violators and fine would be imposed only on serious violations, he said.

Police teams, he said, would visit 15 universities, 115 colleges and schools, 36 private institutions, eight hospitals, 30 government offices, 31 industries, 20 embassies and 35 offices of media during the campaign.

In the first phase the traffic police would try to educate people while in the second phase police would enforce traffic rules, the SSP said adding that enforcement of the awareness would be the third phase of the campaign.

He said that due to enforcement of traffic rules road accidents were being reduced gradually in the capital, as 27 persons were killed in road accidents in April 2005 while seven persons died during April 2006.

Likewise, 26 people suffered injuries during the period last year, while 11 suffered injuries in the current year. However, there was a slight increase in non-fatal road accidents, he added.

From January 1 to April 30, the police issued 91,331 ticket to traffic violators, including 26 federal ministers, six provincial ministers, 26 MNAs, 10 senators, three MPAs, 76 army personnel, seven navy personnel, eight air force personnel, 11 senior police officers, 36 senior government officers, eight secretaries, four deputy secretaries, five joint secretaries, 11 ambassadors and 116 other officials for traffic law violations.

Out of the total 91,331, he said, 4,848 vehicles were fined for over speeding, 1604 for over loading, 16,584 for signal light violation, 7,186 for failure to yield the right of way to other vehicle, 858 for defective light, 1,745 for tented glasses, 1,031 for driving on one way, 2,183 for obstructing traffic and 11,043 for driving without helmet.