ehicle malfunction on a busy road is a driver’s nightmare. It gets worse if you can’t even pull to a side, and the traffic begins to queue up behind you. Tempers fly and help doesn’t seem likely to come soon enough. Call an auto mechanic, anyone?

In such a scenario and in order to ensure that traffic flow is not disrupted, the City Traffic Police recently launched a first-of-its-kind mobile workshop.

As the name suggests, a mobile workshop is a mini auto workshop on wheels that is equipped with the basic instruments required to fix your vehicle. It also has a first-aid kit, in case of a medical emergency. What’s more, a trained auto mechanic accompanies the traffic warden riding the (workshop) motorbike.

Muhammad Nauman, a traffic warden, and Muhammad Babar, a technician, are one such team. They are stationed near the Canal bridge on The Mall. Their workshop, mounted on a motorbike, is ready to roll out. Nauman, a bearded young man in his 30s, says they are just a call away. “If your car breaks down, all you need to do is call on the [police] helpline 15, and request help.”

The team’s response time, according to Nauman, is “4-5 minutes, maximum.”

Talking about the kind of cases they get to deal with, he says, “Most often, people reach out [to us] when their car stops functioning [on the road]. When we arrive at the location shared with us, we learn that the vehicle hasn’t been maintained well — the engine oil and water levels haven’t been checked in ages, and so on.”

Currently, six mobile workshops are operational in the city. They offer services to motorists on The Mall and Jail Road only.

As for motorbikes, Nauman says, “Very often, the chain gets stuck, because it wasn’t oiled properly.”

On a usual workday, the average number of vehicles they get to deal with is “four cars and two motorcycles.” When asked if instances of vehicular breakdowns increase subject to any weather conditions, Nauman says, “Not too much, but heavy showers do mess things up, especially for old cars.”

Nauman and his team work in two shifts. “Even if we receive a call midnight, we are there to help you,” he says, politely. Every detail of their work is recorded — the number of vehicles, their issues, photos et al — and shared with the bosses.

Earlier this month, speaking at the inauguration of the service, Bilal Siddique Kamyana, the CCPO Lahore, praised the City Traffic Police for the initiative. Dr Athar Waheed, the CTO, was also present on the occasion.

Currently, six mobile workshops are operational in the city. They offer services to motorists on The Mall and Jail Road only. In the future, the service will be expanded to other parts of the city so that more and more motorists can receive timely assistance.

The service is particularly reassuring for people who don’t easily trust strangers offering to help. Hamza Farooq, a banker, recalls how he recently went to the Lawrence Gardens with his newly-wed wife, driving his Suzuki Cultus, model 2009. When they returned to the parking lot, his car wouldn’t start.

“I was quite embarrassed,” he says, “as I didn’t know how to fix it. Before I could start looking around for help, someone in the parking lot suggested that I call the traffic police mobile workshop. I did and the team arrived in a few minutes. It was such a relief.”

Once the mobile workshop has fixed the issue, the people’s reaction is worth documenting. Nauman says, “There’s a great sense of relief on their faces. They thank us warmly. Some also make videos with us as a memory they’d like to keep.”

Ahsan Raza is the editor of Minute Mirror. He can be reached at ahsanbudh@hotmail.com