KARACHI: The number of traffic challans in the metropolis has gone up three time in a month — from 24,265 in April to 61,201 in May — after 388 traffic police officers, in addition to 90 section officers, have been authorised to issue tickets on traffic violations, it emerged on Sunday.

Officials said that the number increased because a special campaign against one-way and wrong-way violations as well as unregistered vehicles was also launched, and currently under way, during the same period.

According to traffic police data, in the month of May, 61,201 fines were imposed for non-observance of more than 70 traffic rules, while a total of 57,509 challans were imposed collectively in the months of March and April. The number of traffic challans in March was 33,244 and 24,265 in April, respectively.

District West topped the chart with 15,692 challans followed by 11,813 in Malir, 8,290 in East, 7,542 in Central, 6,387 in Korangi, 6,227 in City, and 5,250 in district South.

61,201 violators of over 70 traffic laws fined in May

Over 50,000 fined for one-way violation

A special drive has also been under way against the one-way and wrong-way violations since May 12, in which so far, a fine of Rs12,624,850 has been imposed against 50,755 issued tickets.

A total of 4,012 arrests have also been made and 14,053 vehicles have been detained during the campaign.

DIG-Traffic Ahmed Nawaz Cheema told Dawn that the then city police chief and incumbent Inspector General of Sindh Police, Ghulam Nabi Memon, had in February limited the task of imposing challan to 90 Section Officers (SOs), who were solely authorised to book citizens for any traffic violation.

He said these 90 SOs had been joined by 388 policemen of assistant sub-inspector, sub-inspector and inspector ranks to ensure smooth flow of traffic and issue traffic tickets on violation.

The 388 officers have been given Enforcement Officer (EO) badge for identification and empowered to challan violators of traffic laws, which has resulted in a gradual increase in fine imposition.

Before February, more than 1,000 officers were empowered to issue traffic tickets.

“I have heard that earlier every officer used to have a target of 20 challans a day,” the DIG said and added that due to that reason they used to overdo sometimes to meet the target and missed the basic function of the department ie to maintain smooth flow of traffic.

Fines on moving violations

“I have told the officers that they are not a revenue collecting authority. Their primary function is to maintain the traffic flow,” he added. “To maintain the traffic flow, the officers have been directed to impose fines on moving violations rather than violations which do not bother the traffic flow.”

He said the examples of moving violations include one-way violation, wrong-way violation, jumping the lights, violating lanes, heavy vehicles commuting on the right lane, parking in no-parking area and parking in a manner which affects traffic flow.

To ensure transparency, the DIG-Traffic also directed the officers to record the procedure with their smartphones so that both the citizens and the policemen, fearing accountability, respect the rule of law.

30pc of total fine collection goes to traffic police

When asked whether traffic police get certain a percentage of a challan they impose, he said: “No officer receives any personal reward or percentage for a challan. However, 15 per cent of the total collection of fine is the share of the department in the pretext of awards for officers in general and 15pc for equipment purchase.”

He said that too was the discretion of the finance department, if they wanted to release it or not.

In the year 2020-21, the due share of the department was Rs113 million, but the finance department did not release anything, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022