By Ahsan Mughal
KARACHI: The quest for better road safety often leads to discussions about enforcement and penalties. While increasing fines for traffic violations is a common strategy, it appears that merely raising penalties is not sufficient to curb the growing number of traffic incidents in Karachi. According to several residents and motorists, the root of the problem lies in the inconsistent enforcement of traffic laws rather than the inadequacy of fines.
Muhammad Afzal, an online taxi operator from DHA Phase 5, has observed that Traffic Police officers frequently fall short of enforcing traffic regulations effectively. “Wardens stand in groups at various road locations and stop random vehicles. However, many times they do not issue fines to cars blatantly breaking the rules,” Afzal noted. Taufiq Ahmed, another motorist, shared similar frustrations. He highlighted issues on II Chundrigar Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal, where motorcyclists often ride on the wrong side of the road without facing any intervention from the authorities. “While driving, I regularly see motorcyclists violating traffic rules, but no one seems to address the issue,” Ahmed said.
Zeeshan, a veteran motorcyclist commuting daily from Korangi to Saddar, lamented the decline in traffic law enforcement over the years. He recalled a time when traffic sergeants would actively pursue and fine rule-breakers. “Now, the police seem to randomly stop cargo pickups while ignoring other violations,” Zeeshan observed. He pointed out that despite a significant increase in fines, such as those for underage driving and helmet-less riding, traffic violations and accidents remain alarmingly high. According to official data, traffic accidents in Karachi have not seen a notable decline despite the increased fines.
In 2023, there were 145 traffic accidents resulting in 161 deaths. The first half of 2024 recorded 93 accidents with 104 fatalities. However, the hike in fines has considerably boosted revenue, with fines collected rising from Rs331 million in the first half of 2023 to Rs565 million in the same period of 2024. DIG Traffic Police Ahmed Nawaz Cheema acknowledged that the increase in fines has not significantly improved the traffic system. “Our fine rates are still low compared to international standards, and we face a high rate of violations. Moreover, the manual system of issuing challans complicates tracking violations,” Cheema said.
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