PESHAWAR: The measures taken by law enforcement agencies, especially ban on motorcycle riding, for the protection of vaccinators in parts of the provincial capital on Saturday inconvenienced road users.

Among the worst victims were students and employees of private and public organisations as police didn’t allow them to travel across checkpoints on motorcycle.

Police detained dozens of motorcyclists in different parts of the city over violation of ban on motorcycle riding and most of them were youths.

The people said they didn’t know that the government had banned the use of motorcycles as such ban was usually announced for every Sunday as part of security plan for the Sehat Ka Insaf vaccination campaign.

The district administration had announced closure of primary schools for the day but even then, many private schools were found to be open.

The people said vaccination was a long campaign and it was the duty of the government to make all related activities, including security measures, public for the information of the people. Some schoolteachers complained that police stopped them at the checkpoint near Gulberg on their way to Faqirabad due to ban on motorcycle riding.

Meanwhile, police remained alert at key places and entry and exit points in the city and checked computerised national identity cards of pedestrians and motorcyclists. However, they were lenient with motorists.

When asked about ban on motorcycle riding, the policemen said they did not want to trouble the people but had to comply with the orders of bosses. They said their bosses were on patrol to monitor them and that a warning of strict action had already been issued to them over negligence.

MOTORIST SPREADS PANIC: A motorist triggered panic at a checkpoint in Hayatabad on Saturday after he tried in vain to flee.

An official said police signaled a motorist to stop the car for checking at the checkpost but he didn’t comply and tried to escape.

However, police managed to stop it before arresting the motorist, Sagheer of Khan Banda Achini area in Peshawar.

The official said instead of taking the risk of checking the car, police called in the bomb disposal unit, which found 247kg hashish and 11kg opium hidden in the secret cavities.

He said the registration number plate was found to be fake. The official said police had registered a case against the arrested man and began investigation.