The government of Punjab has declared 20 key amendments in 60 years old Traffic Act, where the government is determined to modernize traffic management and make the roads safe throughout the province. These reforms will work to minimize the violations, regulate the road accidents, and make traffic more disciplined.
The new rules will auction vehicles that have been violently fined on several occasions.
The provincial administration has made it clear that government vehicles will also face heavy penalties for breaking traffic rules because “no one is above the law.”
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz issued these directives during a high-level meeting held in Lahore, where officials gave a briefing on the new traffic management system, road safety measures, and challan reporting for helmet use, rooftop passengers, and other violations.
A 30-day grace period has been granted to eliminate one-way violations across Punjab.
The meeting also resolved that U-turns shall be re-designed to be safer and more organized road flow with compensation to be given on priority to families of those who are killed in traffic accidents.
The halls that serve marriage will not be operated without parking space and in this case, designated parking will be mandatory to prevent road blockages.
A strict crackdown will be launched across the province to end underage driving. Vehicle owners may face up to six months of imprisonment if found allowing minors to drive.
A province-wide action has also been ordered to stop the dangerous practice of passengers riding on bus rooftops.
For improved public safety, motorcycle rickshaws will be completely banned on five model roads in Lahore.
The chief minister has given the traffic department a 30-day deadline to improve Lahore’s traffic situation, warning that strict measures will follow if visible improvement is not achieved. She added that persistent violations weaken the writ of the state and stressed that no exemption will be granted—every offender will pay fines.
On November 27, the Punjab Traffic Police reported massive enforcement activity, issuing 40,000 challans in a single day under the province-wide uniform traffic law. These included:
- 5,034 helmet violations
- 1,870 one-way violations
- 630 rooftop riding cases
- 812 unsafe vehicle challans
- 2,743 overloaded and over-dimensional vehicle violations
- 2,026 illegal number plate violations
- 3,795 smoke-emitting vehicle cases
- 1,512 juvenile driving violations
- 6,131 driving-without-license challans
- 718 unregulated parking violations
- 14,630 other miscellaneous violations
In total, police collected Rs. 34 million in fines, impounded 6,690 vehicles, registered 324 FIRs, and arrested 314 people in one day.
FIRs, Fines, and Province-Wide Crackdown
The new regulations of the Punjab new traffic policy are also centered on strict implementation by use of FIRs, impounding of vehicles, fines, and inspections at the location of the road. The crackdown is aimed at tackling such problems as non-compliance with the helmet, overspeeding, lack of number plates, overweight trucks, smoke-prone vehicles, and underage drivers. According to the officials, this reform package is meant to make the roads safer and enhance discipline in the whole of Punjab.
