Lahore: To control air pollution and smog in the city, the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore has announced more stringent measures against vehicles emitting smoke.
According to the CTO, the driving licenses of drivers of commercial vehicles that cause pollution will be suspended, while the route permits of these vehicles will also be canceled.
CTO Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim said that tough decisions are inevitable in view of human health and public safety. He said that trolleys and dumpers carrying soil, sand and other construction materials without tarpaulins will not be able to enter the city, while tractor trolleys will also not be allowed to ply on the roads without tarpaulins, water sprinklers and other safety measures.
He said that during the smog prevention campaign, challans were issued for 114,378 vehicles emitting smoke, while 1,401 cases were also registered for various violations.
According to the CTO, action was taken against 53,599 vehicles transporting sand, soil and other polluting materials without tarpaulins, while legal action was also taken against 188,374 vehicles for not having fitness certificates and being in a dilapidated condition.
Syed Abdul Rahim further said that a special crackdown is underway on soil, sand and other mine sites, while special checkpoints and checks are being carried out under the supervision of DSPs on all the entrance and exit routes of the city to prevent the entry of polluting vehicles.
He said that letters have also been sent to several government and semi-government institutions to ensure timely repair and fitness of vehicles emitting smoke so that joint steps can be taken to eliminate smog.
On the other hand, strict action has been initiated against motorcyclists who do not wear helmets across Punjab, now the motorcycles of violators will also be impounded for a day. According to the authorities, the use of helmets has been made mandatory across the province to protect the lives and property of citizens.
Under the new guidelines, those riding motorcycles without helmets will not only be issued challans but their motorcycles will also be impounded for a day. Officials say that regular operations have been launched from today to ensure 100 percent use of helmets, while traffic laws will be strictly enforced.
Along with this, operations are also underway against motorcyclists who do not adhere to lane lines. According to officials, more than 20,000 motorcycles were impounded last month for lane line violations.