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Islamabad residents are routinely subjected to display of bad manners by foreigners often violating traffic rules under the umbrella of diplomatic immunity. The number plates, however, do not indicate whether the driver/owner of the car is a diplomat or not.
In a recent incident, a foreigner in car bearing number plate MR-268 in the wrong lane for turning left, reportedly cut across a car narrowly missing a collision. When the car owner honked in protest the foreigner, with a French accent, left his car and angrily strode towards the driver of the car that he nearly ran over and rudely said, "you are in the wrong lane."
The city's traffic wardens have earned some respect in the last few years through display of zero tolerance against traffic violations by foreign nationals, yet this particular incident went unnoticed because the traffic wardens were some distance away. Ignoring traffic rules by being in the wrong lane, going on the wrong side of the road, usurping rights of pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycle riders and being thoroughly unpleasant to all on the streets of the federal capital is almost routine by many foreigners. In addition, driving under the influence of alcohol, banned elsewhere in the world, goes unchecked here and results in major accidents.
Earlier this month, the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) had released the data of traffic violators during the year 2010. According to the statistics, the ITP had issued 582750 traffic violation tickets and deposited Rs 107.6 million into national exchequer as fine during the year 2010. The ITP mentioned that it did not spare the VIPs as 68 were fined for violation of traffic rules. Diplomats do have immunity but one would hope that they do behave like diplomats and not turn liberal Pakistanis against them because of their appalling behaviour on our roads.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2011

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