ITP suggests special laws for seat belt, banning cell phone during drive: SSP
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) has suggested for special rules declaring mandatory the use of seat belts by the drivers and banning the use of cell phones for their own safety as well as for the protection of road users.
The amendments in existing section 116-A of Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance, 2001 has been proposed which are about declaring the use of seat belt compulsory and prohibiting the use of cell phone during driving with an imposition of fine not more than Rs. 200 to defaulters.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Sultan Azam Temuri told newsmen that these amendments are proposed keeping in view some difficulties in enforcement and also to ensure the protection to the lives of road users. To a question, he said they had been issuing fine tickets over these violations under section 48 but they seek permanent law in this regard because of the difficulties being faced in enforcement.
He said a formal request had been also made to the authorities concerned for creating two posts of SPs (BS-18) and two posts of ASP/DSP (BS-17) along with office staff in ITP.
An officer against the already existing post of SP (BS-18) will work as SP/Traffic Headquarters and look after the Licensing Research Development and training matters of ITP, he added.
The SSP said two proposed posts of BS-18, if created and sanctioned will be designated as SP (Traffic Operations and Management) and SP (Traffic Admin and VVIP’s Security). The former will look after overall traffic operations in Islamabad, Traffic Engineering coordination, traffic management and traffic accidents investigations while the latter will look after the traffic administration, personnel management, discipline matters, VVIPs and international VVIP’s visitors and Diplomatic traffic management.
He said two proposed posts of BS-17 will be designated as per requirements of the newly created posts of SPs to assist them. Temuri said that he has also suggested for setting up of mobile fine collection units for getting challan amounts on the spot.
He said total challan tickets issued during this year were 316,090 and fine amount collected is Rs. 66.245 million.
Traffic staff is doing its best to maintain traffic discipline, he said and appreciated the road users who are now more responsible.
“We believe in work and have a clear motive to serve the people instead of ruling them,” he said and vowed for more friendly policing in future. He said that one-window and paperless driving licensing system would start functioning in Islamabad from December 15, which will really facilitate the digital license seekers.
“We have full support of the government otherwise it was not possible for us to implement traffic rules in true letter and spirit,” the SSP said adding that more than 995 VVIPs have been fined for violating traffic rules during current year. He said it would become difficult to control the traffic in the coming months and years, if the roads were not widened and underpasses and overbridges were not constructed. He said it would become difficult to control the traffic in the coming months and years, if the roads were not widened and underpasses and overbridges were not constructed.
It is to mention that more than 120 vehicles are being registered daily in Islamabad.