Beyond challans: Punjab’s roads a death trap

Every morning in Lahore begins with the familiar sounds of traffic horns, impatient motorists and motorcycles weaving through congested roads. By the end of the day, however, those same roads often witness another grim statistic: a fresh list of accidents, injuries and deaths. Rescue 1122’s daily situation reports have repeatedly shown that Lahore records the highest number of road traffic crashes in Punjab, while thousands of accidents occur across the province every month. The figures are alarming enough to demand a serious policy debate—not merely about enforcement, but about the overall philosophy of traffic management.

The question that many commuters ask is straightforward: if traffic enforcement has become stricter than ever, why do road accidents continue to occur at such an alarming rate?

The answer is not as simple as blaming the traffic police. Road accidents are caused by multiple factors, including reckless driving, speeding, lane violations, poor road engineering, inadequate public transport, increasing numbers of motorcycles and a general disregard for traffic laws. Yet another important question deserves equal attention: has the growing emphasis on issuing challans overshadowed the primary responsibility of managing traffic and preventing accidents?

Punjab has invested heavily in modern traffic enforcement. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority introduced electronic challans through automatic number plate recognition cameras, allowing violations to be detected without direct human intervention. Digital enforcement has undoubtedly reduced discretion and increased transparency in many cases. It is an important step towards technology-driven policing.

Nevertheless, technology alone cannot replace an active traffic warden standing at a busy intersection, preventing gridlock, calming impatient drivers and responding immediately to dangerous situations.

Anyone who drives regularly in Lahore has probably witnessed intersections where traffic wardens appear more occupied checking documents or processing violations than actively regulating the flow of vehicles. Whether this perception reflects reality is a question that only official deployment data can answer. At present, there is no published evidence proving that an increased focus on challans has directly caused a rise in accidents. Such a conclusion would require detailed analysis comparing accident trends, deployment patterns and enforcement strategies. Making that claim without evidence would be inaccurate.

However, the absence of evidence does not mean the question should not be asked.

Traffic policing has two equally important objectives. The first is enforcement—ensuring that drivers obey the law through fines and penalties. The second is prevention—maintaining smooth traffic flow and reducing the likelihood of collisions before they occur. When one objective begins to dominate the other, the effectiveness of the entire system comes into question.

Punjab’s roads are changing rapidly. Every year thousands of new motorcycles and vehicles are added to already congested streets. Motorcyclists continue to account for the overwhelming majority of road crashes, according to Rescue 1122 reports. Young riders frequently ignore helmets, speed limits and lane discipline, while many commercial drivers operate under intense time pressure. These realities cannot be addressed through challans alone. They require continuous traffic management, education and engineering improvements.

Another challenge lies in performance measurement.

If traffic wardens are primarily assessed on the basis of the number of challans they issue, the system naturally encourages more enforcement activity. If, however, officers were also evaluated on reductions in congestion, accident prevention, response time and public satisfaction, priorities might shift towards a more balanced approach.

This is not an argument against issuing fines. On the contrary, effective enforcement is essential in any modern city. Drivers who violate speed limits, jump signals or drive dangerously must face consequences. Without enforcement, discipline on the roads would deteriorate even further.

The real issue is proportionality.

A traffic police force should never become identified solely as a ticket-issuing agency. Its greatest success should be measured not by the number of challans issued but by the number of accidents prevented.

Internationally, successful traffic policing relies upon a combination of visible enforcement, intelligent deployment, public education and data-driven planning. Officers are strategically positioned at high-risk intersections during peak hours, accident black spots receive special attention, and engineering solutions accompany policing initiatives. Data is used not only to punish violations but also to redesign dangerous roads and improve traffic flow.

Punjab already possesses many of the technological tools required to move in this direction. Safe City cameras generate enormous amounts of traffic information every day. GPS-enabled patrol systems, electronic challans and surveillance networks create valuable data that can identify accident hotspots and dangerous driving behaviour. The challenge is ensuring that this information translates into preventive policing rather than merely increasing the volume of fines.

Public confidence also matters.

Many citizens appreciate strict enforcement against reckless driving. Others believe that wardens sometimes concentrate on comparatively minor violations while ignoring more hazardous behaviour occurring nearby. Whether justified or not, such perceptions affect public trust. The government should therefore publish regular performance reports showing not only how many challans were issued but also whether accidents declined at locations where enforcement increased.

Transparency would strengthen confidence in the system.

The provincial government should also commission an independent study examining the relationship between traffic enforcement, officer deployment and accident trends. Such research could answer several important questions. Are more officers needed at major intersections? Are wardens spending sufficient time managing traffic during rush hours? Which enforcement strategies actually reduce collisions? Which locations require engineering improvements rather than additional policing?

Without evidence, public debate remains driven by anecdote rather than policy.

Road safety must also become a shared responsibility. Motorists cannot blame traffic police while simultaneously ignoring helmets, seat belts, red lights or speed limits. Likewise, authorities cannot expect behavioural change through penalties alone while neglecting road maintenance, public awareness campaigns and effective traffic management.

The objective should never be to maximise revenue from challans. The objective should be to minimise funerals.

Every serious accident represents more than another statistic in a daily Rescue 1122 report. Behind each number is a family facing grief, financial hardship and emotional trauma. The true cost of road crashes extends far beyond damaged vehicles or insurance claims. It affects hospitals, emergency services, workplaces and the broader economy.

Punjab has made genuine progress by embracing digital enforcement and modern surveillance. These achievements deserve recognition. But technology should support policing, not define it.

The next phase of reform should therefore focus on integrating enforcement with prevention. Traffic wardens must remain visible where they are needed most—not merely as officers issuing challans, but as professionals managing congestion, preventing collisions and protecting lives.

Ultimately, the measure of a successful traffic police force is not the number of tickets it writes or the amount of revenue it generates. Its success is reflected in quieter emergency rooms, fewer ambulances rushing to accident scenes, and more families returning home safely every evening.

That is the benchmark Punjab should strive to achieve.