RAWALPINDI: The City Traffic Police, jointly with the secretary, Regional Transport Authority (RTA) decided to launch a joint crackdown on public service vehicles, to ensure their fitness so better facilities could be provided to commuters.

Overloading, misbehaving with passengers, wrong parking and other violations of traffic rules are common among public transporters, while the traffic police seem to behave politely with them while they are violating traffic rules.

The decision to launch a joint crackdown against public service vehicles regarding route permit, fitness certificate, without number plate and other violations of traffic laws was taken during a meeting held between Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Taimoor Khan and RTA Secretary Mohammad Rashid Ali on Thursday.

The two heads of their respective departments reached an agreement stating that any complaints from passengers about public transporters would result in stern action being taken against them.

A traffic police spokesman said that Mr Khan held a meeting with Mr Ali in his office regarding provision of better facilities to passengers travelling in public service transport.

In order to ensure the convenience and safety of travel, full cooperation was assured by providing traffic police personnel for joint operation regarding violation of route permit, travelling without fitness certificate, without number plate and other violations of traffic rules.

The CTO instructed the RTA secretary to ensure the presence of motor vehicle examiner during the commercial driving test in any case so that citizens who are coming to obtain licences do not face any problem.

He said that all available resources will be used to solve the problems of passengers travelling in public service vehicles to make their journey calm and their lives safe.

Meanwhile, City Traffic Police started crackdown against violation of one-way and issued challans to 60 vehicle owners, and shifted seven vehicles to police stations.

Following the orders of the CTO, in-charge of Traffic Civil Line Circle Aamir Mushtaq started action against one-way violation.

Challan tickets were issued to 60 motorcycle owners and vehicles for violating one-way during checking at places, while seven were locked up in the police station for not being able to present documents.

The CTO said that violation of one-way on highways not only causes accidents but sometimes also causes traffic jams so zero tolerance orders have been issued against violators and along with issuing challans, their licences will also be suspended.

He also issued orders to all circle and sector in-charges to depute additional wardens at one-way places, who will take strict and indiscriminate action against those violating the one-way.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2023