FAISALABAD: Traffic wardens deputed across the city are issuing dodgy fines to motorists to allegedly meet their daily quotas, and in case of failure they claim they have to face the music.

Wardens alleged that Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Hassan Afzal had set daily fine targets of fining 15 motorists for a warden and 30 for a senior warden. Earlier, a warden used to fine five to seven motorists daily for violating traffic rules.

However, the CTO told Dawn that he had not set any targets.

As many as 850 wardens and 100 constables were deputed in the district in 19 sectors -- 13 in the city area, while six sectors and three sub-sectors in Saddar. There are about 650 challaning officers in Faisalabad, including inspectors and wardens.

CTO denies setting any daily targets

Traffic wardens said every CTO has tried to run the department’s affairs according to his own will instead of going by the book. They said the bosses were trying to make the department a money-making machine instead of ensuring provision of facilities and smooth flow of traffic.

They claimed they had started to issue dodgy tickets to motorists, particularly poor drivers, to meet the quotas allegedly set by the CTO. “It is painful for us to issue the tickets to drivers who are already facing hardships due to Covid-19, but we have no option.”

They said poor drivers of rickshaws, motorcycle-rickshaws and motorcyclists were the prime targets of the campaign, while others went scot-free. “We are focusing on achieving our daily challan targets instead of ensuring smooth flow of traffic,” they said, adding that due to frequent fines, arguments between motorists and wardens were increasing.

Traffic signals on various roads had been non-functional for a couple of months, which was leading to fatal accidents, but instead of resolving such issues, officials passed the responsibility to the municipal corporation.

On Tuesday, a boy, Tayyab, of Chak 100-RN, Purana Rorka was killed when he was hit by a rickshaw and a jeep coming from the rear side ran him over near Darmawala on Sheikhupura Road.

A motorist, Qaiser, said a warden had issued him a fine ticket under Clause 24 which did not mention the crime he had committed. “I asked the warden what violation I have committed, but he asked me to go away otherwise my vehicle will be confiscated and a case registered against me.”

He did not dare question the warden further due to the threat of registration of a case, Qaiser added.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2020