The doubling of fines for traffic violations was rejected by commuters, who blamed traffic jams in the city on the incompetence of traffic wardens and not traffic violations.
Talking to Pakistan Today on Friday, several motorists condemned the increased fines, blaming the City Traffic Police officials for increasing traffic problems in the city. They said that the traffic police stresses on issuing more fine tickets, rather than educating the motorists.
Motorists added traffic wardens chat amongst each other rather than effectively managing traffic.
Rickshaw driver Atta-ur-Rehman said rickshaw drivers earn Rs 200-500 per day and the doubling of traffic violation fines by when the Punjab government means each fine on minor violations will be equal to their daily wage. “Traffic wardens clamp down hard on rickshaw drivers and spare no mistake,” he said.
Taxi driver Muhammad Akram said, “Traffic violations cause accidents, not traffic jams. The traffic jams are due to traffic warden negligence. Is there a fine for them too?”
Ahmed Humayun, a motorist, alleged that increasing the fines would not stop motorists from violating traffic rules but educating them could help in controlling the violation of traffic rules. He blamed the traffic wardens for issuing fine tickets for nothing. He said it appeared that the government had given the traffic police the task to collect revenue from the poor in the name of fines for traffic violations.
He claimed that the traffic wardens prefer issuing fines tickets rather than managing traffic on city roads.
Mateen Ahmed, a car driver, said that doubling the fines for traffic violations would not bother the car riders, however increasing the fines would not help in managing the traffic mess. He said that the traffic wardens had poor behaviour, adding that the City Traffic Police had never touched the standards set by the National Highway and Motorway Police, whose officials enjoy good repute among the motorists.
The chief traffic officer (CTO), while talking to reporters, appreciated the decision of the Punjab government, adding that it would help the traffic police in reducing traffic violations.
The increase in fines would not create any financial issues for the motorists, rather it would help enforce traffic rules and regulations in a better way, he added.
‘Traffic wardens, not commuters responsible for jammed roads’
