RAWALPINDI: City Traffic Police are facing a severe shortage of manpower which is hampering its day-to-day work.

On the other hand, the traffic police have decided to introduce “body-worn cameras” for the wardens to record their interactions with the citizens with an aim to check allegations made by motorists.

When the traffic wardens were introduced in the garrison city, the numbers of sanctioned posts were: one chief traffic officer (CTO), one senior traffic officer, six deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), 100 senior traffic wardens, 1,320 wardens and 52 senior traffic assistants.

But the traffic police have been facing a shortage of 465 police manpower - four DSPs, 24 senior traffic wardens, 384 traffic wardens and 48 senior traffic assistants.

A spokesman after the passage of more than one decade the sanctioned posts had not been revised according to the increase in population and number of vehicles.

And due to the lack of service structure and other facilities, the wardens were demoralised and lacked interest in their work.

“More than 150 traffic police personnel come to Rawalpindi for duty from Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal on a daily basis as they have no official residences in the garrison city,” he said.

Recently, some wardens were promoted to the rank of inspectors and a special allowance was restored but their future is still not clear.

He said in addition to shortage of manpower, increase in number of vehicles, encroachments on roads and public attitude were major problems being faced by the traffic police.

“When a traffic police official, who is highly educated with some of them even doing PhDs, is badly treated by road users they loss heart and plunge into distress,” the spokesman said.

Chief Traffic Officer Mohammad bin Ashraf told Dawn that if manpower was provided the wardens would be in a better position to manage traffic.

Complaining about pubic attitude towards the wardens, the CTO said: “We have decided to provide ‘body-worn cameras’ to them. The camera will record all proceedings made by the wardens against traffic violators.”

He said with the introduction of the body cameras, he would be in a better position to judge the attitude of the officials and the citizens.

Due to shortage of manpower, it is impossible for the wardens to randomly check vehicles, particularly during rush hours.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019