ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) issued 653,556 tickets worth Rs176,854,600 to road users for violation of traffic rules during the current year.

The police said 27,007 vehicles were fined for having fancy (non-pattern) number plates while 66,697 tickets were issued to motorists for not fastening seat belts, 15,150 for using mobile phones during driving, 1,351 for underage driving and 88,394 motorcyclists for not using helmets.

Similarly, 32,091 tickets were issued over lane violation, 10,194 over wrong parking, 109,247 for careless driving, 1,455 for having defective lights, 25,652 for hampering traffic, 7,160 for driving on wrong sides, 5,264 for driving without registration, 8,241 for driving without licence, 563 for misbehaving with passengers, 22,841 for obstructing smooth flow of traffic, 56,324 for overloading, 3,257 for speeding, 3,543 for parking at bus stops, 741 for parking on zebra crossing, 1,427 for having pressure horns, 3,979 for negligence during driving, 10,315 for route violation, 5,105 for driving without route permits, 21,637 for violation of traffic signals, 12,595 for having tinted glasses on vehicles, 23,879 for taking turn from wrong side, 5,220 for using high beam lights and 99,809 over violation of miscellaneous nature.

ITP personnel also fined 552 VIPs during the current year, including parliamentarians, diplomats and bureaucrats. The VIPs fined during the ongoing year included 36 MNAs/MPAs, 239 government officers, 58 foreign diplomats, 116 army officials, six judiciary officers and 59 police officers.

SSP (traffic) Farrukh Rasheed said a campaign had been launched as per directions of IGP Mohammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan to create awareness among citizens about traffic rules.

The focus of the campaign was elimination of tinted glasses, use of non-pattern number plates and curbing the practice of speeding as well as lane violation, driving motorbikes without helmets, silencers as well as doing wheelies.

He said ITP was taking action against those using unauthorised number plates or LED lights on their vehicles and special squads had been constituted to check the practice.

He said ITP personnel had been directed to ensure implementation of the traffic rules and regulations and demonstrate patience and politeness while issuing tickets to the road users.

He said the traffic police were utilising all available resources to facilitate the road users.

He appealed to the citizens to follow rules and use number plates issued by the Excise and Taxation Office (ETO).

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2019