RAWALPINDI, Jan 15: A record 33 per cent increase in fatalities on roads was reported in Islamabad during the year 2003 while 88,773 vehicles were booked for violating traffic rules, an official source told Dawn.

SSP Islamabad Shahid Nadeem Baloch has appealed to the citizens to cooperate with the police and follow traffic rules in order to bring down the death rate in traffic accidents.

"The purpose of imposing fine on traffic violators is to create awareness among motorists and develop traffic discipline," a police spokesman quoted the SSP as saying.

The spokesman said tickets valued at Rs1,71,11600 were issued to vehicle owners for violating traffic rules during 2003. The vehicles booked included 16,802 motorcycles, 22,897 cars, 16,667 cabs, 9,060 Suzuki vans, 16,961 wagons, 5,116 busses and 1,270 trucks.

A report compiled by the traffic police also indicated that 1,323 vehicles were booked for violating the ban on using tinted glasses and 383 underaged drivers were booked during the year.

Similarly, 19,898 vehicles were fined for red light jumping, 927 persons were fined for driving without licences and 9,601 vehicles were fined for lane violations.

Likewise, 1,339 public service vehicles were fined for route violations, 9,067 for violating no-parking, 2,585 vehicles were booked for overloading and 175 fined for using pressure horns.

As many as 1,180 drivers were fined for violating a ban on using smoke-emitting vehicles, 296 persons were fined for driving without licences while 35,655 vehicles were booked for other traffic rules violations.