SWABI: Unchecked increase in motorcycles and auto-rickshaws and their haphazard plying on roads is causing frequent traffic jams and, sometimes, fatal accidents.

Traffic officials told Dawn on Monday that mushroom growth of motorbikes and auto-rickshaws had almost choked the narrow roads in the district.

They said most of the three wheelers were without legal documents, and picked and dropped passengers at unauthorised spots, leading to traffic snarl ups.

They said most of the motorcyclists involved in reckless driving, which often resulted in fatal accidents.

The traffic officials said rickshaw drivers also indulged in overloading, putting passengers’ lives in danger.

Sources in traffic police said that only in the month of February they had ticketed a large number of motorcycles and auto-rickshaws for violating traffic rules.

When contacted, traffic police in-charge Janab Ali told Dawn that they had launched a campaign against the unregistered bikes and auto-rickshaws.

GREAT DAY FOR CRICKET FANS: The district cricket association on Monday lauded the holding of the Pakistan Supper League final in Lahore, saying it was a great day for the cricket fans in the country.

Speaking at a meeting, members of the association said the Pakistan Cricket Board had done a commendable job by organising the PSL final in Lahore, and appreciated the foreign players, especially West Indians, for coming to Pakistan despite odds.

They said after the attack on Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009, future of cricket in the country had become uncertain, but holding of PSL final had revived the hopes of the game lovers that Pakistan would see more such events coming in future.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2017