Traffic police chief decries lack of personnel

Asif Ejaz Shaikh, chief of the city’s traffic police, has said that various measures are required to improve Karachi’s traffic situation, including increasing the strength of the traffic police force, better salaries for officers and other such efforts, Geo News reported. 

DIG Shaikh, while talking to Geo, said that previously there was no coordination between various departments before the initiation of any road construction project. Now, however, the relevant government authorities contact the traffic police department which guides them on designating alternate routes and other facilitative efforts. 

Questioned over the number of personnel currently employed by the traffic police department, the DIG explained that there are 4,200 personnel in the department, with 3,500 personnel on the field. This force works in two shifts, which means that 1,700 personnel are deployed in the city in one shift.

About the Sindh High Court’s order against permitting heavy traffic in the city’s residential areas, he said that implementation of the order was being carried out with “60 percent success achieved in one month”.

“First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered and drivers have been sent to jail but admittedly violations are still being reported,” the DIG said.

He added that he has written to the government to increase the amount of fines on violation of traffic rules, and things are in process. Lamenting the low strength of the traffic police force, he said that the traffic situation in the city could be improved through better road networks, cleaning up of sewage water, removal of encroachments and increasing the salaries and facilities provided to the traffic police.