LAHORE (APP): To improve public safety and enforce road discipline, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has mandated a substantial rise in traffic fines of up to ten times. She voiced grave concerns about the present traffic system’s lack of progress and emphasized the need for tangible, long-term solutions while chairing a high-level meeting on traffic management and changes here on Tuesday. According to the CM, parents who permit their minor children to drive will face consequences and criminal charges will be filed in these circumstances. She also ordered that drivers who drive with damaged or non-functional headlights face harsh penalties, stressing that the real test of success is successful action done before accidents happen. CM Maryam Nawaz emphasized the need for visible enforcement, stating that cars carrying chains or other potentially harmful items will be halted right away and that irresponsible driving, including one-wheeling, will result in criminal charges. She ordered the introduction of steep fines for using cell phones while driving and supported a proposal to prohibit the parking of trolleys filled with products on the sides of key roadways. In order to maintain openness, she also gave the appropriate authorities instructions to clear traffic jams on Bedian Road and other important thoroughfares and to attach photographic and video proof to every challan.
The reorganization of the traffic police into five specialized categories—Enforcement Officer, Traffic Regulator, Education Officer, Licensing Officer, and Public Service Officer—was approved by CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif as part of larger changes. In order to increase enforcement capacity, she also approved the provision of cutting-edge equipment and contemporary police cars. In addition to reviewing plans to renovate 372 important traffic intersections around Punjab, including 77 in Lahore, to enhance road infrastructure, the chief minister declared that traffic challans will now be issued in-camera. In order to identify and control traffic congestion early on, she also oversaw the installation of digital roadside screens. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif reaffirmed her dedication to public safety, stating that the only way to guarantee a safer and more effective traffic system in Punjab is through strict, technologically advanced, and preventative measures.