RAWALPINDI: The City Traffic Police have introduced a colouring book ‘Color Up Your Story of Road Safety’ to educate children from playgroup to nursery level about traffic signs and road safety.

On the other hand, the City Traffic Police have so far registered 963 cases (FIRs) against underage drivers since Nov 18.

The cases have been registered against underage drivers in the light of Lahore High Court orders after after an underage driver killed a six-member family in Lahore.

Following special instructions of the Additional Inspector General of Traffic Police, Punjab, Chief Traffic Officer Rawalpindi, Taimoor Khan made a great effort to create awareness of traffic signs and road safety among schoolchildren.

On every page of this colouring book, road safety messages, traffic signals and signs are given for children, on which children will be aware of traffic rules in full colour and will always remember these traffic rules, said the spokesman.

In this regard, chief traffic officer, Rawalpindi participated in a traffic seminar organised in a private school on Wednesday and distributed colouring books, colours and gift packs among children from playgroup to nursery.

Under his supervision, he made the schoolchildren colour the traffic signs in the colouring books, said the spokesman.

While giving an awareness lecture to children and teachers about traffic rules and road safety, chief traffic officer expressed his determination that soon City Traffic Police, Rawalpindi is going to introduce similar awareness and coloring books for children studying in rural areas of Rawalpindi district .

Parents of children have appreciated the move by the city traffic police to educate prep-school children which they believe should have been done much earlier.

Police spokesman said though the city traffic police have launched a crackdown on underage drivers since Nov 1, 2023 and issued fine tickets to 2,594 underage drivers. However, after the LHC ordered registration of cases against underage drivers on Nov 18, 2023, the police have registered 963 FIRs.

Some people believe that the registration of FIRs against underage drivers was not a good move because once an FIR is registered against any person, he has to face consequences for his whole life. And in the case of children, it is not fair when the traffic police have the legal to issue fine ticket for traffic violation.

“It would have been much better to challan underage drivers than to register FIRs against them,” said a senior university teacher of university.

Ishtiaq Hussain Shah, former chief traffic officer also disputed the registration of FIRs against under age drivers saying that the traffic police should abide by the LHC’s order of registration of FIRs but these should not be put into the record of Crime Registrar Officer because it will spoil the future of children.

“Whenever he/she against whom an FIR has been registered will apply for a passport or visa to travel abroad, he will not be able to get it and travel due to the FIR against him,” the former CTO said and added: “Please don’t spoil the future of children. Try to improve the traffic system, educate people, instead of registering FIRs against children.”

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2023