Now you can get arrested for wrong-way driving

Wrong-way driving can not only cause horrific accidents but also lead to gruelling traffic jams. Now, for the first time, the Karachi police have decided to arrest wrong-way drivers and impound their vehicles.

The city’s law enforcement agency believes that this move would help ensure implementation of the traffic rules and regulations. The decision to arrest wrong-way drivers was taken by Karachi police chief Additional IGP Dr Amir Shaikh on Tuesday.

Wrong-way drivers will be arrested under Section 279 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which covers the topic of rash driving and riding on a public way.

It reads: “Whoever drives any vehicle, or rides, on any public way in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life, or to be likely to cause hurt or injury to any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to three thousand rupees, or with both.”

The city police chief said wrong-way drivers would not only be arrested but lose their vehicles as well. The traffic police have launched a crackdown against wrong-way drivers after his announcement.

Spokespersons for the traffic police confirmed that in accordance with the city police chief’s announcement, they would not only arrest every wrong-way driver but also impound their respective vehicles.

Until the time this report was filed, the traffic police had issued 6,207 challans with fines amounting to Rs931,050. They had also registered a total of 69 cases against the violators.

Interestingly, the people who were arrested for violating the traffic rules included two policemen, who were caught while driving against the flow of traffic near the Zainab Market in Saddar and shifted to the Artillery Maidan police station for further legal proceedings.