By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Nov 15: The city traffic police are facing a shortage of manpower and vehicles as only 3,516 personnel using 421 vehicles regulate the 1.5 million vehicles in the metropolis spread over 3,500 sq.km.
The sanctioned strength of the city’s traffic police is 3,988 against the available strength of 3,516. A traffic policeman on average covers 19kms and regulates 542 vehicles. Twenty per cent strength is either on leave, courses or office duties.
The field force usually comprises constables and their sanctioned strength is 2,516 – 63 per cent of the total strength. However, only 1,900 constables are available for duty, that is a shortage of 616 cops.
According to the presentation given by DIG Traffic Falak Khurshid in September to government functionaries, four DSPs, 12 inspectors, 39 sub-inspectors and 214 head constables are surplus as against the sanctioned strength. Besides, the traffic police have only 37 motorcycles of 750cc, 51 of 500cc, one of 350cc, 10 of 250cc, 193 of 125cc, 62 of 100cc while 67 other vehicles for towing and other purposes.
Mr Khurshid is of the view the strength of the traffic police was insufficient to regulate traffic. He quoted the record of excise and taxation, saying 504 vehicles were being registered on average everyday and the ever-increasing vehicles were adding to the existing fleet of traffic, making it difficult for the available strength of the traffic police to regulate it.
He said that the strength of traffic police should also be increased.
He said that he had worked out a proposal according to which the sanctioned strength of traffic police should be 5,196 personnel. In the present classification, the number of constables is more than enough.
He proposed that the total strength of constables should be 2,183 as against 2,516 while the sanctioned strength of ASIs should be enhanced to 2,086 as against 598.
Apart from this strength, he suggested that 100 personnel should be non-uniform for office and clerical work.
He was of the view that the traffic police should be allowed to recruit 1,488 personnel for the rank of ASIs to meet the immediate requirement while the shortfall of other ranks should be met through transfer from the existing strength of capital city police.
In his presentation, he suggested that reckless and negligent commercial drivers should be arrested under section 279 of the PPC for which Sindh government’s support was needed.
He also suggested that all traffic violation tickets be computerized so that driving licences of drivers involved in frequent in accidents or traffic violations could be suspended or cancelled.