LAHORE:
Vehicles of traffic rule violators who receive repeated challans for traffic violations in Punjab will be auctioned, while government vehicles involved in violating rules will also face stiff penalties, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was informed during a meeting on Friday.
The officials informed the prime minister that 20 important amendments have been made in the Punjab Traffic Act, in force for six decades.
The government approved a 30-day grace period to eliminate one-way violations and ordered relevant authorities to remodel U-turns to improve road safety. It was also agreed that compensation will be paid immediately to the families of those killed in traffic accidents.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif stressed that marriage halls will not be allowed to operate without proper parking facilities.
Participants approved a province-wide crackdown on underage drivers.
Read more: Punjab implements stricter traffic ordinance
Authorities said that if a minor is driving, the owner of the vehicle can face up to six months in prison.
The prime minister ordered a crackdown on buses carrying passengers on rooftops. Relevant officials informed him that to improve traffic flow and ensure public safety, ban on motorcycle rickshaws will be imposed on five model roads in Lahore.
The prime minister set a deadline of 30 days to rationalize traffic in Lahore. He said speeding vehicles will face stern measures.
There is a need to improve traffic in all cities of the province, Maryam said, adding that all violators will be fined without any discrimination.
It gave the traffic police one last chance to improve the situation. “If they fail, a new department will be created,” he said, lamenting that when everything else had been fixed, traffic was still in disarray.
He commented that the continuous violations and disorder on the roads reflect the weakness of the State.
