Effective enforcement of traffic rules, slash in accident rates and smooth and disciplined flow of traffic by capital police needs to be emulated in the rest of the country.
Islamabad Traffic Police has successfully completed one year since its inception during last calendar, which is fairly characterised by these palpable improvements in traffic regime, facilitating the road users.
A total 364,312 challan tickets worth Rs ten million, indiscriminately issued to public representatives, senior government officers, armed forces personnel, diplomats and other road users for violation of traffic rules speaks of effective enforcement of Traffic Police's writ in the capital.
The ITP has successfully accomplished the task of enhancing the image of traffic police force, which is significantly contrary to the past one. The new force was trained by National Highways and Motorway Police and the training course included motor vehicle ordinance, first aid, highways code, speed measurement equipment and driving skills.
"ITP strictly enforced traffic rules during one year and spared no violators," IGP Iftikhar Ahmad said adding main factors behind its success were its professional approach, polite and helpful behaviour and efficient functioning.
The force have established public friendly culture of policing and created awareness of traffic rules and regulations among road users. There is a visible difference on the roads as traffic flow has improved and smoothened.
According to the official facts in 2005 some 139 fatal accidents occurred mainly due to rash driving, over speeding, wrong overtaking and signal violation.
While in 2006 the figure reduced to 95 despite the fact that the number of vehicles registered with Excise and Taxation department in Islamabad last year hiked.
As many as 2,60,000 vehicles were registered in the federal capital till 2006, out of which 49,843 vehicles were registered only in last year, while daily average vehicle entry in Islamabad is 2,74,987.
The increasing number of vehicles, which hovers at 17.18 percent at present is posing a challenge to the ITP, to be coped with seriously. "This would be tackled in a very short span of time as the completion of new roads in the federal capital would be of great help," Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Dr Sultan Azam Temuri said while attributing the traffic congestion to construction work being undertaken at different places.
"We are proud to be people friendly and corruption free force with strong accountability and complaint redress system," expressed Temuri. An inquiry is immediately conducted in case of any complaint against ITP's official and every possible effort is made to satisfy the complainant through transparent and fair investigation, he added.
Temuri mentioned that during one year, ITP dismissed its six officials on charges of corruption and criminal activities.
A number of measures taken by ITP including setting up of a driving schools, introduction of computerised driving license, shuttle service for school children, involvement of students in traffic awareness campaign, prohibition of smoking in public transports, adoption of special children have changed the image of traditional traffic police.
A house wife Mehreen said that, "Due to ITP's concerted efforts, the overloading trend in pubic transport and sitting on roof of vehicles has also been reduced which claimed many lives especially of young students in the past."
IGP Iftikhar Ahmad is of the view that the government has provided a handsome salary package, equal to the motorway police, to Islamabad Traffic Police officials, "The attitude of traffic cops has now changed and they are polite, humble and people-friendly", he added.
Despite untiring efforts of model traffic police, the force is still faced with a slew of challenges including increasing ratio of vehicles, construction and expansion work on number of road, deficiency of parking sites, especially in commercial areas and many others.
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