SHC told: Action taken against around 2,500 traffic personnel

Disciplinary action was taken against 2497 traffic personnel so far, during the current calendar year, according to a report submitted in Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday. The DIG Traffic Police filed the report with the SHC's Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar-headed division bench that had issued the order in the previous hearing in a petition, filed by Muzammal Mumtaz Advocate to seek action against the traffic police personnel, found involved in taking bribe.
Muzammal Mumtaz Advocate filed the petition following the tragic incident in which a rickshaw driver Khalid Yousaf had set himself on fire at the traffic police office in Saddar in protest against the fine against him by traffic police for not paying the bribe.
He alleged that rickshaw driver was forced to commit suicide as money was extorted from him at least three times. He stated that it was a routine in Karachi that traffic police demand bribes from rickshaw drivers and motorbike riders and on refusal they impose fine.
He also submitted that despite the clear orders of the court, CNG cylinders were being used in public transport and no action is being taken against such vehicles by the traffic police.
He prayed the court to direct DIG traffic to take action against traffic police personnel engaged in demanding motorcyclists to grease their palms. He requested the court to restrain the public transport from using substandard CNG cylinders.
The bench had directed the DIG Traffic, Secretary Transport Sindh and traffic SSPS concerned for their comments in the previous hearing.
According to Traffic Police report, the officials who faced disciplinary action include 85 inspectors, 518 sub inspectors, 410 ASIs, 177 head constables in addition to 1307 lower rank personnel of traffic police in the city.
Report submitted that action is also underway against the vehicles using substandard CNG cylinders and revealed that more than six thousand vehicles were issued challans so far during the year 2018, for using fancy number plates, which is illegal. More than one thousand vehicles were impounded for using fancy number plates.
Report mentioned that more than 29 thousand vehicles were issued challans because their drivers had no driving license or invalid license. Over four thousand vehicles were challaned for lacking fitness certificate or with invalid fitness certificate.
The report claimed that traffic police is adopting all measures to overcome road casualties and they have taken stern action against errant driver on zero-tolerance basis.