RAWALPINDI: To curb the spread of Covid-19, the city traffic police have established 23 checking points in the garrison city and deployed 137 personnel to ensure the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were implemented.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rai Mazhar Iqbal directed establishment of 23 checking points at different places in the city to ensure that people wore face masks.

The CTO said the traffic police officers were on the front line to protect citizens from coronavirus.

“We are on the highways for your safety so that you can be safe in your homes,” CTO Mazhar Iqbal said, adding that, “only with the cooperation of people, this disease can be controlled”.

Currently, the traffic police have stopped issuing driving licences during due to the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

Wearing of face masks had already been made compulsory for the traffic police staff.

Meanwhile,Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani has directed the divisional police chiefs, including RPO Rawalpindi, and district police heads to get all officers aged 50 and above vaccinated and those who were 40 years and above registered.

According to the directive issued by the Punjab police chief, the third wave of Covid-19 was spreading fast and becoming lethal every day.

The police officers being on the front line were more vulnerable to the deadly virus, the IGP said.

He said the government had already announced walk-in vaccination facility for all citizens aged 50 years and above.

“It is strictly directed that all the police officers serving under your command and control be ensured to utilise this facility without any delay and laxity,” IGP Ghani said.

He also directed officers who were 40 years and above to get registered for vaccination.

The IGP said his directive might be treated as urgent and most important, adding that he be informed on a regular basis about the compliance of his orders.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2021