Swoop on Underage Drivers From 13th

Nov 09, 2017

LAHORE: Inspector General of Punjab Police retired Capt Arif Nawaz Khan has ordered crackdown on drivers below 18 years of age from Nov 13.

Addressing a meeting on traffic management [particularly in Lahore] here on Wednesday at Central Police Office, he asked the police officials to call parents of underage drivers and get [a written] undertaking that their children would not drive without obtaining [driving] licence in future.

The IGP also directed them to launch an operation against the vehicles bearing tainted glasses and [unauthorised] green number plates.

A grand operation is also the need of the hour against the workshops and shops involved in preparation of number plates of vehicles, motorcycles and rickshaws without permission of the excise and taxation department.

Meanwhile, he directed the Lahore chief traffic officer to visit the place of any major accident and snarl-up on main roads in order to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

He said the CTO should also pay surprise visits to different troubled spots and traffic sectors to monitor the performance of wardens.

He also directed the traffic DIG to issue advisory to drivers on smog to avoid accidents across Punjab.

Traffic DIG Farooq Mazhar told the meeting that from Oct 24 to Nov 7, as many as 21,081 smoke-emitting vehicles had been challaned and 1,766 impounded.

He said fitness certificates of 156 vehicles were cancelled.

The traffic DIG said 648 suspects were arrested after lodging 504 cases under section 144 in different police stations for their alleged involvement in burning of tyre, plastic, rubber, polythene bags and crops residue.

On the occasion, IG Arif Nawaz issued instructions to minimise the tenure of traffic wardens posted to polluted areas.

The IG also directed to establish driving schools pertaining to public awareness campaign with the cooperation of Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority where citizens may learn driving and traffic rules.

(Daily Dawn)

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