Buckle up pillion-riders: ITP to issue tickets without helmet after Oct. 11

Buckle up pillion-riders: ITP to issue tickets without helmet after Oct. 11

ISLAMABAD, Oct 9 (APP):Islamabad Traffic Police’s (ITP) Double Helmet campaign to create awareness for pillion riders’ safety seems to be a half-baked idea since it was still struggling to enforce primary rules in letter and spirit.
The public-private venture, that got the show on the capital’s roads last Friday, is planned to be concluded on October 11 and the “Authority shall be issuing tickets to the pillion-riders without helmet henceforth,” said Rana Ishtiaq, an official of the ITP’s Education Wing.
He said the authority cannot compromise on public lives’ safety and awareness campaign was a formality to ensure our massages reaches to every individual, especially violators, before initiation of any action.
To a question about women pillions he said, “There is no disparity in law as life of female is as important as of a male and they shall have to abide by this law.”
A traffic sergeant deputed at Serena Hotel Chowk calling it a “Fancy Flight” said there were many grey areas required to be addressed on priority to make such initiatives worthwhile.
Requesting not to be named he said traffic police was overburdened due to dearth of personnel. ” We have to accommodate VIP movements, influx of traffic and 16 hours duty was an extreme.” Urging for more recruitment of workforce he questioned,” How can we issue tickets to violators to establish our writ in this situation.”
A sergeant Iftikhar Ahmed stressing more public participation especially media’s role said this is what traffic police could do with meager resources. He regretted that majority of the accidents that claim lives on capital’s roads, the victims were motorcyclists.
A citizen Shahbaz at Aabpara, while appreciating Trafic Police’s awareness campaign, said it was unfortunate that road users were reluctant to adopt traffic safety rules, “Purely meant for their betterment only’.”

APP Services