LAHORE, In a bid to address the escalating smog levels in Lahore, the city’s traffic police have ramped up their efforts, impounding 40,519 smoke-emitting vehicles over the past fortnight. Additionally, 11,813 vehicles have been issued challan tickets, each fined Rs 2,000 for violating environmental standards.

According to Punjab Police, Malik Tanveer, during an interview with APP, the traffic police have actively initiated measures to mitigate smog by taking indiscriminate action against both government and semi-government vehicles. Tanveer stressed that this year’s actions were more substantial compared to the previous year due to the detrimental health effects of smoke.

Meanwhile, Punjab Transport Secretary Ahmed Javed Qazi asserted that vehicles producing smoke would be banned from operating on the roads of Lahore. He warned that any personnel found neglecting their duty to enforce these regulations would face strict consequences. Qazi mentioned the launch of a tree planting campaign in Lahore, which aims to combat smog levels in the city.

He also stated that the Punjab Transport Authority (PTC) Enforcement Wing has been conducting rigorous checks on smoke-emitting vehicles, with a particular focus on those used by educational institutions. In a separate but related development, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, Bilal Siddique Kamyana, held a meeting to examine the progress on various developmental and welfare schemes at police stations.

DIG Operations Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and SSP Administration Atif Nazeer presented an extensive report on the ongoing uplift projects within the police department. The meeting highlighted the construction of new police stations, improvement of current ones, and the transfer of some stations to rented facilities as part of a special initiative. There was a particular emphasis on the completion of 50 police stations under this initiative.

CCPO Kamyana underscored the urgency of establishing more police stations in proportion to Lahore’s growing population, emphasizing the modernization of facilities in line with Caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi’s vision. He called for an immediate operational start for Bhatti Gate Police Station among other projects under the Annual Development Programme (ADP).

He concluded with instructions for the Lahore police staff to conduct themselves with courtesy when dealing with public complaints, aiming to create a positive impact through the upgrade of police station facilities.