LAHORE (Kashmir English): Punjab has decided to lower the minimum age for obtaining motorcycle licence to 16, allowing teenagers to obtain the document using smart identity cards.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, meanwhile, barred police from arresting underage students for traffic violations.
“We do not want to detain young children, but adherence to the law is essential,” the chief minister said in a statement, expressing strong displeasure over reports of minors being handcuffed following the Lahore High Court’s notice on the matter.
She urged parents to teach children the importance of wearing helmets as she directed traffic police to ensure dignity and restraint while dealing with the public. She stressed that traffic laws exist for public safety.
Officials briefed the CM that 2,445 drivers had been penalised for traffic violations and that a provincewide awareness week would be launched for students and the general public. They told the CM that the first helmet offence would now result only in a warning.
The CM was also informed that, for the first time, drones and body cams were being introduced across the province to monitor violations and improve transparency.
Drivers sans licence to face action
A day earlier, it was reported that Punjab Police issued at least 63,970 challans worth over Rs80 million in 24 hours as part of an ongoing crackdown on traffic violations.
At least 28,000 challans were issued in a day for helmet violations, and 4,312 were booked for violating other traffic rules, spokesperson for Punjab police said. Furthermore, the police confiscated 23,904 vehicles, said the official.
