Can ‘Lahore Model’ help control traffic in ICT?

Islamabad: A few years back the traffic on the roads in Lahore seemed beyond human control. Mini buses, commuter vans, rickshaws, ‘chingchis’, even tongas in certain areas and above all the motorbikes besides the normal vehicular traffic had clogged all the roads in the provincial metropolis.

Incidents of clashes and even brawls between Lahore Traffic Police officials and general public had become almost daily occurrences over ticketing issues against violation of traffic laws and rules.

In most of the cases the Traffic Sergeants were found at the receiving end. And almost each time after such an incident the public transporters operators, be those the mini bus operators or the commuter van, the rickshaw or ‘chingchi’ and even the goods transport vehicles groups would stage a strike and block the roads, highways and even on a couple of occasions the Motorways and National Highways. And then somebody in the Lahore Traffic Police decided to tackle the issue in a more modern manner as he or they decided to introduce the ‘E-challan system’ in the provincial metropolis.

What the Lahore Traffic Police did was that they probably added some extra feature in the already installed monitoring cameras for security purposes at the points where most of the traffic rules/laws violations were observed. Mainly the busy intersections, heavily crowded commercial areas and other spots identified after a careful survey.

After having completed their homework, the Lahore Traffic Police launched an extensive public awareness campaign for probably three months or so to inform the general public about the introduction of ‘E-challan’.

Once the Lahore Traffic Police practically started ‘E-challan system’, the Traffic Wardens on duty on the roads and avenues took up the job of helping prevent traffic clogging and streamlining the flow of traffic. They were no more stopping people to issue traffic violation challan tickets. In the beginning, the exercise seemed futile and even it was felt as if the move may lead to chaos on the roads.

But then the ‘E-challans’ started getting delivered at people’s home, on the given residential address on the vehicle registration book. Now confusion surfaced in the system. And again it led to corrective measure! Earlier people were buying and selling all kinds of vehicles on ‘Open Transfer Letter’ and even if a vehicle is sold multiple times, the address on the registration book remains that of the first buyer!

So, the ‘E-challans’ started knocking at the doors of the first owners, leaving them perplexed. As is the common culture around here, people started neglecting those ‘E-challan fines’. However, realization dawned on the people when they approached the Motor Registration Authority for transfer of a vehicle and found out that there is heavy traffic fine against their vehicle in the record that they must clear before getting the vehicle transferred.

Or, if any Traffic Sergeant stops any vehicle randomly and checks the challan record in the ‘Electronic device’ provided by the department and all details appear on the screen if any ‘E-challan’ has been issued against the vehicle at any time in the past. And the amount of fine keeps increasing with every deadline for payment of the fine is missed!

And now the drivers in Lahore have become considerably law-abiding and the traffic flow much disciplined! One wonders if the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) would care to implement a similar system in Islamabad too? No more arguing with the drivers, no more waiting as the violator is connecting to some high up to help prevent ITP official from issuing challan ticket, no more ‘maaf kar do ji!’