CTP to launch smart phone application to solve traffic problems

Rawalpindi : City Traffic Police (CTP) will launch a smart phone application next week to provide solutions to traffic related problems of the people.

Talking to this agency, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Bin Ashraf informed that the application would educate people about driving license, provide traffic updates integrated with Google Maps, road congestion status and information of nearest bank to deposit fine.

The citizens would also be given information about protests, blockages through advisory messages.

To a question, he said that illegal and wrong parking coupled with encroachments at footpaths and roadsides are not only affecting smooth movement of pedestrians but also aggravating traffic flow in all business hubs of the city and cantonment.

Though, the CTP conducted special operations and pushed the encroachers back and cleared several areas, but no permanent solution of the problem could be brought.

Teams had also been constituted to lift vehicles on the parking rules violations besides impounding vehicles, he said.

He urged the motorists to avoid parking their vehicles in no-parking areas as well as on roadsides that lead to traffic jam and thus creating problems for the public.

The citizens should follow traffic laws to avoid road accidents and traffic mess on city roads, he said.

In order to make the traffic sign testing more transparent, the CTP had introduced computerized traffic sign testing system for Light Traffic Vehicles (LTV) and Heavy Traffic Vehicles (HTV) driving licenses.

The new system had been introduced to bring transparency in the licensing procedure and improve the efficiency of the department, the CTO said.

Under the new system, the CTP officials were conducting computerized test for road signs for LTV and HTV driving licenses, he added.

SSP Muhammad Bin Ashraf said that this step had been taken to improve the working of the CTP Licensing Branch.

He said that they were setting up a new information desk at the entry gate of Traffic Police headquarters which would enable the applicants to obtain the information regarding the licensing process.

He said the new testing system involves questions on the most frequently practiced traffic rules, which every license holder should know.

The CTO said that the driving license testing authorities were directed not to compromise on merit and transparency, adding the Driving License Testing System comprises very capable team members.

This new system will end misuse of powers to a great extent and reduce malpractices, said the CTO.

We want to make sure that public is facilitated in getting driving license thus encouraging legal driving, but concurrently, we should restore the sanctity of a driving license as the document which the government issues to certify that a person is capable of handling a vehicle properly on the road, he added.