ITP facing shortage of manpower, vehicles

Islamabad:Senior Superintend of Police SSP Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) Farrukh Rashid while highlighting challenges of capital's traffic police pleaded request to Interior Ministry to enhance manpower as well as motor transport resources for staff of the traffic police personnel to ensure smooth regulation of traffic.

SSP ITP Farrukh Rashid in a briefing to Interior Ministry here on Monday while raising difficulties and challenges of ITP pleaded to enhance manpower as well as vehicle fleets for ITP staff by pointing out added responsibilities of ITP.

SSP ITP in a briefing to the Interior Ministry contended that areas of responsibility of ITP have been multiplied during last 15 years to a larger extent but ITP has been meeting the operational mechanism with multiple challenges relating acute shortage of manpower and available of vehicles and motorbikes.

In his briefing SSP ITP underlined that ITP revamped on modern footings back in 2005. At that time, the responsibility area of ITP was restricted to sectors of the federal capital including G5, G6,G7, G8, G9 and G10 and likewise in sector F6, F7, F8, H8, H9, H10 and I8, I-9 and I-10 were also existed. Meanwhile Kashmir Highway, Islamabad Highway and Murree Express way were covered by ITP.

At that time strength available to ITP was sufficient to cover the area for regulation of traffic. Contrary to 2005, scores of new sectors including D-12, D-13, D-17, E-11, E-17, F-11, F-15, G-11, G-12, G-13, G-14, G15, I-11,I-12, I-14, I-16 and scores of other towns and societies have been developed.

As per excerpts of the briefing in 2005, ITP was assigned to cover a total of 286 Traffic Regulations points including the VVIPs duties, which the ITP used to manage effectively but in 2020, 506 traffic regulation points have been assigned to cover. Owing to shortage of ITP manpower, 286 traffic regulation points are being covered now fully, while 89 points are half covered, one sergent covers two points, while 131 points can not be covered due to shortage of strength.

It was also pointed out that after construction of New Islamabad Airport, ITP has been facing acute shortage of manpower, to deploy sufficient traffic staff to cover the route distance for the safe passage of VVIPs and other foreign delegates.

ITP has been currently operating in four zones, while SSP ITP by putting forward proposal to make six zones for ITP pleaded the authorities of Interior Ministry to enhance manpower of ITP from 685 to 1500 with new vacancies of 35 Inspectors, 250 SI, 620 ASI, 295 Head-Constable, and 300 constable.

It was also notified that during last 15 years, area of responsibility for ITP has been enhanced as registered vehicles in the capital city have been increased up to seven times comparatively to 2005. ITP also pleaded for increased motor transport vehicles including 10 new 1300 cars, 10 cars 1000CC, Troops carrier Muzda, 10, Pickup Single Cabin 2, 15 Motorcycle 250CC and 30 motorcycle 125CC.