Action taken against 2,497 traffic cops for misconduct, SHC told

Disciplinary action has been taken against as many as 2,497 traffic police personnel for misconduct this year, the Sindh High Court was told on Tuesday.

Filing comments on a petition seeking action against police officials for demanding a bribe from a rickshaw driver who self- immolated at a traffic police office, the senior superintendent of police of traffic submitted that Head Constable Mohammad Hanif involved in the incident had been suspended after rickshaw driver Mohammad Khalid immolated himself in protest in Saddar area.

He said traffic police personnel who were found involved in corruption and malpractice were always taken to task and awarded exemplary punishment. He mentioned that disciplinary action had been taken against 2,497 traffic cops -- 85 inspectors, 318 sub-inspectors, 410 sub-inspectors, 177 head constables and 1,307 police constables -- during the current year.

He said the traffic police were also taking action against traffic violators and 17,497 traffic violation tickets had been issued over overloading public service vehicles and fines totaling Rs11,661,100 imposed.

Regarding the use of substandard CNG cylinders in the SSP stated that repeated directions had been issued to the relevant officials to take strict action against public service vehicles plying with substandard cylinders and impound them.

He submitted that special teams had been constituted to check CNG-fitted cylinders along with other stakeholders in order to avoid any untoward incident. He said 1,763 vehicles had been detained for plying without fitness certificates, 2,749 vehicles had been impounded for plying without registered number plates and another 1,125 confiscated for using fancy number plates.

Muzammil Mumtaz Meo had submitted in the petition the rickshaw driver had set himself on fire at the traffic police office in Saddar in protest after being fined by traffic police for not paying them a bribe a few days ago. The driver later died at hospital.

He stated that the rickshaw driver was forced to commit suicide as money was extorted from him at least three times. He alleged that it was a routine in Karachi that traffic police were engaged in demanding bribes from rickshaw drivers and motorbike riders on main roads, and on refusal they imposed undue fines on them.

According to the complainant, substandard CNG cylinders were being used by public transport despite clear directions of the court and no action was being taken against such vehicles. He requested the court to direct the DIG traffic to take action against traffic cops engaged in demanding bribes from motorists and to restrain public transport vehicles from using substandard CNG cylinders.