arts of The Mall are now being watched over by body-worn cameras on traffic police personnel.

When she approved the project in September, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had said that the government wanted to equip the police personnel with body cameras to ensure transparency and better behaviour.

Fahd-ur Rehman, senior traffic warden, is among the pioneering cops wearing the camera on their chest. “Yes, I feel more responsible,” he says, adding that even his conversation with this journalist was getting recorded.

That is the objective for which the chief minister announced the launch of the project. “The purpose of installing body cameras is to improve the police behaviour and ensure thorough monitoring,” the CM had said.

The deployment of body-scam cops has started from The Mall. Soon it will become a common sight in the city and later the province. Additional Traffic Police IG Mirza Farhan Baig says that body-cams are being attached to the uniforms of traffic police personnel. He says that in more than 20 districts across the province, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Murree and Rawalpindi, body cameras were being installed on the uniforms of traffic personnel.

Some important insights emerged in the conversation with Traffic Officer Fahad, who has been using the body-cam for 10-12 days while on duty along The Mall. He says that the small camera is mounted to the chest, attached to the shirt and is always on.

“The on-duty personnel do not have the option to switch it off; not even during phone calls. This ensures that all actions and conversations get recorded. There are no gaps,” he says. “If it is switched off, the monitors notice this.”

The footage is both stored on the device and available live at the Chief Traffic Officer’s control room, creating a dual-layer of monitoring.

Fahad says that with the installation of these cameras, the behaviour of the public, too, has improved. People appear more cautious and respectful in their remarks once they realise that the conversation and their conduct are being recorded.

“If a motorist is being rude, I alert them to the camera, warning them that their actions are being recorded and that the record will be available for future reference. With every step and word under watch, there is a new level of alertness and professionalism among traffic personnel,” he says. He says that earlier, officials could sometimes take things lightly. Now, knowing that the footage is available for review by seniors, they perform their duties with greater care and seriousness. He says that if someone misbehaves or creates a scene, they are reminded politely that they are being recorded. Most people are quick to understand this and adjust their behaviour.

The initiative, though currently limited in its scope, is being seen as a step toward reshaping the way police behave on public roads.

Additional IG (Traffic) Mirza Farhan Baig, who has been overseeing the project’s rollout across various districts, says that body cameras will not only make the challans (ticketing) transparent, but also provide reliable evidence in case of accidents, crimes and complaints against officers. He says he believes that when both citizens and police know that they are being watched, there is a natural tendency to be civil.

Not everyone is welcoming the presence of more cameras on the streets. The Aurat March Foundation has earlier raised concerns about the Safe City surveillance system, calling it a violation of privacy. It contends that constant surveillance turns cities into controlled spaces where people, especially women and vulnerable groups, feel monitored, judged and unsafe.

While the Foundation has not yet officially responded to the bodycam deployment, a similar reaction is possible. As citizens begin to encounter wardens recording their words and gestures, debates about privacy, consent and data handling are expected to become a part of the discourse.

Journalist Wajeeh Haider, who routinely travels daily along the Canal Road, says that on the stretch near FCC and the Shah Jamal bridge it is common to find wardens sheltering under the trees to avoid the summer sun, leaving the traffic to manage itself. Sometimes, he says, this leads to avoidable chaos. “I hope the body-cams will force more wardens to remain at their designated posts,” he says. For him, he says, the body camera is not just about evidence and record-keeping, it is also a much-needed nudge toward ensuring that traffic police take their responsibilities more seriously.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship