- Punjab government to replace traffic wardens with modern technology
The Punjab government is all set to phase out traffic wardens from the city roads, replacing them with high-tech cameras with the help of Turkish experts.
Sources privy to the development revealed that a Punjab government delegation recently visited Turkey and signed an agreement to “revolutionise” the traffic management system as well as the overall law and order situation by installing an integrated system of information technology.
“The delegation comprised ministers and senior police officials besides other concerned experts who have signed the agreement, and now the Turks are due to visit the province after Eid to assist the government,” a senior official, who asked to remain anonymous, said
According to further details, the Turks will provide full assistance to the Punjab government in reforming their overall policing with the use of technology.
“An integrated system of information technology will be installed to detect crime and manage city traffic. The system will be comprehensive including crime, traffic and rescue services. Other features will include automatic number plate recognition, extensive use of GPS services, etc. The Turks will plan and design the entire program, while the government will implement it,” the official added.
The common perception prevails, however, that it will be impossible to manage traffic without the presence of personnel on the roads because commuters here hardly follow traffic signals.
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Captain (r) Sohail said there are many areas in the metropolis which are very crowded and where traffic cannot be managed without the presence of wardens. “Localities such as Badami Bagh, Misri Shah and Railway Station are too crowded to be managed without wardens,” he said.
Speaking with Pakistan Today, the Minister for Environment Protection Col (r) Shuja Khanzada said the chief minister has resolved to reform policing and traffic management once and for all. “We have signed an agreement with the Turks, who will visit Punjab after Eid to assist us in developing an integrated system not only to curb crime but also to manage traffic,” he said.
Responding to a question, Khanzada said that traffic wardens will be removed from the city in phases. “As per the plan, initially you will not see any traffic wardens on The Mall, Jail Road and Ferozepur Road, and later the same will be applied in the WalledCity. People will receive a ticket at their doorstep for a violation with an automatic police case registration if they don’t pay the fine. If someone calls up the rescue service, the officials will see the picture of the caller and know his location. Similar revolutionary steps are going to be taken for crime management through technology. The citizens will get a system at par with one working in developed countries such as Britain, Dubai and Germany,” Khanzada added.
Wardens will be gone….altogether. If that’s the assumption, its a dream only. Even in the US and Europe its not the case. The traffic cameras (both speeding and red light violations) will result in better over all traffic.
The difference is that if Police catches you, the ticket goes to your driving record. With Cameras, driver does not get penal points on his driver record. So the insurance rates do not go up with tickets based on photos taken by traffic cameras.
Some jurisdictions are beginning to encroach that and they end the automatic points waiver as soon as you dispute the ticket (Challan) based on traffic cameras. In those cases, it depends on the outcome of the dispute in a court.
Muncipal revenues from traffic fines will increase in the short term. Such revenues will pay for the cost of the cameras. As people adjust to them, such fines come to a steady state level.
Highway Act will need to modified to start issuing tickets based on Cameras.
Quite a city that would be.
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