PESHAWAR: The transport department along with the respective district administration has fined thousands of owners of vehicles and restaurants during a campaign to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19.

Around 50,000 vehicles, on way to tourist spots in the province, were not allowed to proceed owing to lockdown during Eid holidays.

“We successfully implemented 98 per cent ban imposed on the movement of public and private vehicles inside and outside the cities,” Transport Secretary Manzoor Ahmed told Dawn.

According to official figures, over 2,000 vehicles were fined while 331 others were impounded by transport department for violation of lockdown during the last four days.

The transport department has also fined 18,020 vehicles and impounded 1,577 others in April for violation of SOPs. The transport department has collected Rs6.9 million as fine imposed on the vehicles.

Mr Ahmed said that government was able to keep the traffic off the road to prevent spread of coronavirus. “All efforts were made to keep the people confined to their homes as the third wave of Covid-19 is more dangerous,” he said.

He said that it was the national responsibility of people to follow the SOPs to prevent themselves and others from the deadly virus. He said that 100 per cent closure of bus stands in the entire province was observed.

The official also lauded the role of Charsadda police for supporting the transport department in implementation of ban on transport.

According to data, the district administration established 110 checkpoints on the roads leading to tourist spots in the province including each 20 in Abbottabad and Swat, 13 in Mansehra, 11 in Charsadda, six in Malakand, 11 in Haripur, nine in Swabi and three in Peshawar.

Officials at these checkpoints stopped 71,448 vehicles out of which 47,759 were sent back as these were proceeding to tourist spots.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2021