LAHORE: Struggling to handle traffic situation in Lahore, the traffic police has reportedly launched a large-scale “crackdown”, especially on motorcyclists, with an aiming to generating maximum revenue for the government through fines.
As per sources, the traffic police officials have been conveyed that the Punjab government wants to collect a whopping Rs8.33 billion through fines in 2026-27, with a major share to be contributed by Lahore traffic police.
A senior official privy to the development says the recently-appointed Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Abdul Raheem Sherazi has reportedly ordered a “large-scale crackdown”, especially on motorcyclists.
Following his predecessors, the CTO ordered his subordinates to try to meet maximum fine targets on Independence Day as millions of vehicles, especially bikes, will be on roads across the provincial capital.
Reportedly using fines as tool to generate revenue; police say enforcement is strictly as per traffic laws
He says the Punjab traffic police was given the task of collecting roughly Rs32 million daily across the province, primarily targeting the provincial capital where approximately 5.7 million vehicles, mostly bikes, ply roads everyday.
He says several former traffic police chiefs have been using fines as a tool for revenue generation to please the rulers and secure their positions, considering effective traffic management as their secondary responsibility.
The official says that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had, however, shown her displeasure over the “misplaced priorities” of the Lahore traffic police authorities given the deteriorating traffic situation in Lahore.
Despite the CM’s displeasure, the incumbent leadership of the city traffic police continues to use fines as a revenue generation tool, the official says.
Meanwhile, residents of the provincial capital continue to suffer because of the gross traffic mismanagement, resulting in daily gridlocks, high noise levels, air pollution and waste of time.The worst traffic situation is being reported on a major part of The Mall, Jail Road, (from Shadman Chowk to Sherpao Bridge), the Canal (from Thokar to Mughalpura), Ferozepur Road (from Kahna to Mozang Chungi), Gulberg Main Boulevard, most of the roads in Johar Town, Iqbal Town, Adda Plot on Raiwind Road, Multan Road, Ravi Road, Fane Road and Lytton Road etc.
Similarly, many parts of the Defence Housing Authority, Gulshan-i-Ravi, the areas around the Lahore High Court and Civil Secretariat also witness traffic blockages daily, especially in the morning and evening.
As per reports, the traffic congestion has become a permanent feature of these busy localities of the city.
Instead of addressing the situation, the official says, wardens have increased pickets to collect fines.
In Gulberg, traffic pickets have been set up at Liberty Chowk, u-turns on Ferozepur and Jail roads, besides permanent deployment at points like Shadman Chowk and u-turn in front of Punjab Institute of Cardiology and Qartaba Chowk.
Similarly, a group of eight to 10 traffic officials has been permanently deployed at the Regal Chowk, one of the busiest intersections in the city, where they can be seen rounding up bikers, car drivers and auto rickshaws, to issue them heavy fine tickets.
“I am running my mobile phone business on the Hall Road where the traffic police round up customers and traders everyday on different pretexts,” says a shopkeeper.
A young man, Haris, who is running a garments shop in Auriga Complex in Main Market, says his bike was stopped many times last month at the u-turn near Siddique Trade Centre on Jail Road.
He alleges that every time he was handed down a Rs2,000 fine slip without any justification.
However, Lahore traffic police denies the allegations, claiming that traffic enforcement is not driven by fine collection or so-called revenue generation targets.
A spokesperson for the traffic police department says that enforcement is strictly in accordance with traffic laws and primarily aimed at improving road safety, maintaining traffic discipline, and preventing accidents.
Importantly, he says, all enforcement actions are evidence-based. Traffic violations are documented through modern technology, including video and photographic evidence, wherever applicable, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Traffic wardens are instructed to take action against documented violations, such as helmet and seat-belt violations, signal jumping, wrong-way driving, speeding, and other offences that pose a risk to road users. The objective is compliance, not revenue generation, he says.
He says there are clear directions that no citizen should be subjected to any unjustified or unlawful challan. Any complaint regarding wrongful enforcement or misuse of authority will be examined, and appropriate action will be taken if the allegation is substantiated, he adds.
“The Lahore Traffic Police remains committed to fair, transparent, evidence-based and lawful enforcement, with safety of citizens as its foremost priority, the spokesperson says.
Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026
