LAHORE: Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Malik Liaqat Ali on Tuesday expressed displeasure over traffic wardens recording videos of media persons showing their press cards to avoid challans amid the traffic police’s crackdown against helmet rule violators.
According to a statement issued here, the CTO has directed all SPs and DSPs to debrief traffic wardens over the practice of recording videos of journalists and posting them on social media.
“Wardens should serve fines to anyone violating traffic laws but refrain from recording videos. A strict action will be initiated against anyone continuing to stick to such unprofessional behaviour.”
According to a traffic police spokesperson, the traffic police wanted the friendly ties between the media fraternity and police to prosper and both the wardens, who recorded videos of journalists trying to evade challans, had been reprimanded over their negligent professionalism.
Earlier, some media persons had refused to accept tickets and showed their press cards to the wardens when stopped for not wearing helmets.
Videos, involving three media persons, started making rounds on social media in which they could be seen threatening the traffic police officials for stopping and handing them challans.
“Why are you giving us your press card,” the wardens asked the similar question to all three, adding that they were stopped due to their violation of traffic rules.
“I will see you,” one of the media persons said, while another said if wardens want to keep his bike, they can but he will get it back in the same day.
All three behaved rudely with the traffic wardens giving them threats and showing their “media power”.
