Criminal record verification of Lahore's commercial drivers in the offing
LAHORE: The city traffic police have initiated verification of the criminal record of 348,000 commercial vehicle drivers following reports that they were involved in 48 percent of the total fatal road crashes. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting, where official data pertaining to repeated crashes and unsafe driving history of commercial and public service vehicles was presented.…
Lahore's traffic police have begun scrutinizing the criminal backgrounds of 348,000 commercial vehicle drivers, following claims that they were responsible for 48 percent of the city's fatal road crashes. The decision came from a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi, where officials presented data on the surge in commercial vehicle-related accidents.
The meeting's special mandate, given to SP Headquarters Fakhar Bashir Raja, involves analyzing crash patterns and recommending interventions to prevent further fatalities.
Lahore houses around 8.2 million registered vehicles, with 348,000 of them commercial, making up nearly five percent of the city's total fleet. Despite their minor share, these commercial vehicles were implicated in 48 percent of the city's fatal crashes, highlighting the urgent need for regulatory and enforcement action. Based on traffic police data, commercial drivers have been identified as the primary culprits in such incidents.
During the meeting, it was decided that the verification of every commercial and public service vehicle driver's criminal record, driving history, license status, and overall eligibility would be conducted. Drivers with criminal backgrounds, repeated traffic violations, a history of crashes, or conduct posing a danger to public safety would be barred from obtaining permits or licenses to operate commercial vehicles.
Transport unions and commercial vehicle owners were instructed to ensure that no driver was hired or assigned a vehicle without proper background verification, including a valid character certificate and clear record.
CTO Sherazi emphasized that those operating commercial vehicles with criminal records would be denied licenses. He warned that owners and operators knowingly employing high-risk drivers would also face legal consequences. Furthermore, the meeting approved the verification of driving licenses for all commercial and public service vehicle drivers, with strict enforcement action against those driving with fake, forged, expired, suspended, or otherwise invalid licenses.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
