Traffic police launch surveillance system in Karachi

Karachi police chief Iqbal Dara has launched a Traffic Surveillance Unit (TSU), which will work round the clock to help improve the traffic management system of the city and to also catch those involved in malpractices.

Talking to The News on Friday, DIG Dara said the TSU was a modern computerised system and already operating in many developing countries. The system can check traffic issues, including hurdles that slow down traffic movement. With the help of this unit, traffic cops can now immediately respond to problems facing commuters on Karachi’s thoroughfares.

DIG Dara asid the surveillance system was linked with Google Maps, through which they could easily check any dark spots for traffic hurdles, and the problems could be rectified immediately by informing the relevant traffic kiosk.

He said they had linked the TSU with the cameras of the Central Police Office, the Civic Centre and the Special Security Unit, as well as with 1,608 active cameras installed for surveillance of the city’s major thoroughfares.

He noted that 38 locations were captured by the CPO’s 190 cameras, 243 locations were under the watch of the Civic Centre Camera Unit with its 869 cameras, and 146 locations were under the surveillance of the SSU Camera Unit having 549 cameras.

Sharing an example of how the Surveillance Unit would help, DIG Dara said that a few days ago, soon after the start of the unit, they were watching roads when they witnessed a huge mess on MA Jinnah Road near the old State Bank building of the Mithadar Traffic Kiosk. Immediately responding to the situation, officials on ground were instructed to reach the spot, and he along with his staff also rushed there.

He said found encroachments on the road by vendors that were creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic. At this, he called in the encroachment staff and had the vendors removed from the spot. This action cleared the artery for traffic and vehicles started plying smoothly, he said.

DIG Dara said the surveillance unit would also help their already established TVES Unit for sending online challans, and offenders could check their traffic violation challans with evidence. They may also visit the DIG Traffic office for more satisfaction by video link available in the DIG Office.

Through this system, no officer will stop any violator, and the automatic camera system and the violation fine ticket would be directly delivered to the offender’s residence with evidence. TVES challans are delivered to both members of the public and government officers and staff found in involved in any traffic violation.

He added that through this system they observed several vehicles running with fake numbers plates and double number plates, and informed the officials concerned for necessary departmental action against them.

So many such cases have already been sent to the ACLC, CPLC and excise authorities. Moreover, drivers have the fear that they are being watched by unknown people, and it helps the CPLC, excise and other departments to update their data. The traffic police chief said they had also launched a massive campaign against violators, and that they were looking public complaints against traffic sergeants. Under the campaign, action was also being taken against beggars and encroachers.

He added that they had received 33 complaints against traffic sergeants. The complaints included six from public, and 23 sergeants were held accountable on an intelligence and vigilance report, and five were caught red-handed. Moreover, they have cleared 1,584 areas or spots from beggars, dispersing 2,104 and handing over 153 to police and another 66 to NGOs.

DIG Dara said they had also taken strict action against encroachers, cleared 1,160 areas, removed encroachments from 7,776 locations, and lodged 631 FIRs. They had also arrested 8,573 encroachers with the help of the local police, he shared.

Moreover, the Karachi traffic police took action against those violating one way rules, and from January 1 till date they had challaned 767,466 vehicles, another 20,634 vehicles for using fancy number plates, 410,680 people for not using safety helmets, 11,851 vehicles with tinted glasses, 21,218 vehicles for illegal or double parking, and 375 motorcyclists for riding the two wheelers on one wheel.

He added that till date they had challaned 1,960,540 vehicles a total of Rs462,159,900 fines, of which they had received Rs452,414,550.

On a query, DIG Dara said they were also trying to develop information about the heavy vehicles’ drivers, and recently he had warned the owners of public transport to give the traffic department complete bio-data of their drivers. The major causes of traffic accidents were violations of traffic rules, and on some roads there were technical and engineering faults, due to which accidents occurred, and they were planning a meeting to resolve the issue, he added.

The other factor of accidents was how people attempted to cross the major thoroughfares on foot instead of using pedestrian bridges. Moreover, lane jumping, signal violations, refusing to stop at stop lines and motorcyclists not wearing helmets were other causes of traffic accidents, he said.