848,000 traffic challans issued during 2024

Rawalpindi: Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi, Benish Fatima, has emphasized the importance of ensuring an uninterrupted flow of traffic and educating road users as top priorities for the City Traffic Police. She reiterated that both misbehaviour by traffic wardens towards citizens and resistance from citizens against wardens are unacceptable, warning that strict legal action will be taken against offenders on either side.

Providing details of the department’s performance during 2024, the CTO revealed that over 848,000 challans were issued for various traffic violations, resulting in fines exceeding Rs. 490 million. Additionally, 2,874 cases were registered for traffic-related offenses, reflecting the department’s commitment to enforcing the law and promoting safer roads.

The violations included 17,654 challans issued for one-way violations, 56,314 for negligent and careless driving, and 48,226 for disrupting the flow of traffic. Lane violations accounted for 68,507 challans, while an alarming 162,982 challans were issued to drivers operating without licenses. Traffic police also took action against polluting vehicles, issuing 15,813 challans for emitting smoke and impounding 163 vehicles in various police stations. Similarly, underage driving remained a critical issue, with 22,149 challans issued and 1,811 underage drivers detained.

To ensure road safety, 49,591 challans were issued for cycling violations, and 6,552 challans were imposed for wrong parking, leading to the towing of 46,751 vehicles. An additional 76,012 challans targeted vehicles with unauthorized or non-standard number plates. School van safety was another area of focus, with 179 school vans detained and 3,480 vehicles penalized as part of the ongoing campaign for vehicle fitness.

CTO Benish Fatima highlighted the significance of public awareness in fostering compliance with traffic rules. During the year, the City Traffic Police conducted extensive awareness campaigns, distributing 22,000 pamphlets, organizing 280 lectures, hosting 190 radio programs, and displaying 295 banners to educate citizens on road safety.

She also underlined the progress made by the City Traffic Police Driving School, which trained 2,796 individuals during 2024, including 1,258 women and 1,538 men. The “Women on Wheels” program, aimed at empowering women, trained 112 women in scooter riding and introduced four new scooters for the initiative, alongside the appointment of female instructors.

On the licensing front, the department issued 108,796 new licenses, provided 310,340 related services, and issued 174,744 learner permits. Additionally, 22,261 old licenses were renewed, 3,421 international permits were issued, and 952 endorsement licenses along with 166 duplicate licenses were processed.