PESHAWAR, April 25: Lack of a full-fledged transport department in the province is affecting the traffic system, official sources say.

Four departments simultaneously run the traffic system in the city. The District Regional Transport Authority, Provincial Transport Authority, traffic police and excise and taxation departments have their own roles in streamlining vehicular traffic, which is messing up things.

Interestingly, the provincial government has got a transport secretary, although there is no transport department. The PTA issues route permits to vehicles in the province.

The real burden of transport is laid on regional transport authorities created at the district level after introduction of the devolution of power plan in 2001.

These bodies are also faced with lack of facilities and coordination with other departments, such as traffic police, excise and taxation etc.

Unlike other provinces where DCOs are chairmen of respective DRTAs and the entire transport system works under the secretary, the performance of the Peshawar DRTA, which generates Rs300 million revenue per annum, is not up to mark.

For instance, the district nazim, who acts as the DRTA chairman, is preoccupied with a host of other matters and he does not have much time to look into transport affairs.

Having only eight staffers, the DRTA is required to look into transport-related matters with no vehicles and police force.

There are 13,259 registered vehicles in the Peshawar district and officials of the DRTA say they are unable to check them. “We have to request the traffic police and other departments to check vehicles without route permits and registration,” said an official.

Officials said they issued notices to transporters for non-payment of dues, but such notices were often ignored.

“Because transporters know we are toothless, they don’t comply with our orders,” he said.

Sources said the department needed to be brought under the secretary with director and other staff of the PTA and DRTAs under him. At present, officials said they sought help from police to impound vehicles and penalise drivers for not having documents.

“Transport owners approach the traffic police and solve their problems through backdoors,” an official said, adding that a full-fledged transport department, if established, would be able to take action against transporters.