Lahore witnessed a concerning surge in traffic violations this year, with a staggering 4.8 million residents failing to follow traffic rules, data revealed by the city's Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) on Wednesday. Motorcyclists topped the list of offenders, with over 2.2 million challans issued for helmetless riding alone. Driving without a license also remained rampant, with another 520,000 challans issued in this category. Traffic authorities cracked down on various violations, penalizing over 220,000 vehicles for lane indiscipline, stop line breaches, and zebra crossing disregard. Wrongful parking and one-way driving violations added another 200,000 challans to the tally.

CTO Amara Athar stressed that the focus of these operations is not revenue generation but ensuring order and safety on the roads. She highlighted that challans aim to nudge citizens towards better compliance, ultimately fostering a safer driving culture. Beyond helmetless riding and unlicensed driving, authorities penalized vehicles for disrupting traffic flow (63,000), red light violations (39,000), seat belt neglect (31,000), and mobile phone use while driving (48,000). Dangerous driving and tinted windows added another 97,000 challans to the record, while 136,000 vehicles faced penalties for incomplete documentation.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)