April 04, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

LAHORE, April 3: Eight women traffic wardens turned up on heavy-duty bikes on city’s major roads on Thursday for patrolling duty for the first time in the history of the country’s traffic police.

Eighty-four wardens, including the eight women, were handed over 250cc bikes by city police chief (additional IG) Malik Mohammad Iqbal.

“We have imparted a 15-day training to eight female wardens in the first phase and as many wardens are receiving training in the second phase,” Chief Traffic Officer SSP Ghulam Mehmood Dogar told Dawn.

He said that the wardens would patrol The Mall, Jail Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard and Defence Main Boulevard in pair. They will regulate traffic, help and educate people and issue tickets.

“The main focus of the women wardens will be on extending emergency help to commuters, especially female and children,” he added.

He said that separate beats comprising different sectors had been allocated to the women wardens.

Mr Dogar believed that the presence of women wardens on roads would change attitude and behaviour of commuters.

He said that six lady wardens were already patrolling on CG-125 bikes.

There are 134 female traffic wardens in the traffic police but most of them are doing office work.

The city traffic police have 200 250cc bikes in its fleet of which 84 have been handed over to the wardens.