Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Abdul Rahim Shirazi has ordered the registration of cases against operators of heavy vehicles entering the city during prohibited hours to prevent accidents and ensure road safety, ARY News reported.
The CTO has directed traffic police to strictly check public service vehicles, commercial traffic and heavy vehicles operating on city roads during restricted hours.
According to the CTO, heavy traffic is completely banned in Lahore during the daytime. Heavy vehicles are not allowed to enter the city before 11pm or after 7am.
The restrictions also apply to tractor-trolleys, trailers, trucks and construction machinery, which are prohibited from entering the city during daytime hours.
Shirazi warned that cases would be registered against operators violating the restrictions.
He added that heavy traffic is being allowed to enter Lahore in phases, while oil tankers can enter the city only during designated hours.
It is pertinent to mention here that a daily digital traffic monitoring survey has also been launched to assess traffic rule violations, identify major issues and develop measures to improve road safety.
According to the survey report, 56,292 vehicles and motorcycles passed through the Canal-Mall Road intersection in Lahore within one hour. These included 28,760 motorcycles and 27,532 other vehicles. The report revealed that 1,473 vehicles, accounting for approximately 2.93% of the total, violated lane discipline on Mall Road during the survey period.
It also found that 99% of motorcyclists were wearing helmets, while only 10 vehicles were observed being driven without seatbelts during the one-hour monitoring period.
According to the survey findings, 5% of car drivers and 7% of motorcyclists on Mall Road were driving without valid driving licences. Overall, the traffic rule violation rate at the Canal-Mall Road intersection was recorded at around 3%.
Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Sherazi said digital data was being collected daily at intersections and across different sectors to assess traffic conditions and compliance with road safety regulations.
He said the initiative aimed to evaluate traffic behaviour based on ground realities, improve compliance with traffic laws and identify areas requiring targeted enforcement. Sherazi added that the ultimate objective was to ensure safer journeys for citizens, reduce travel times and help achieve the vision of an accident-free Punjab.
