Lahore to suspend permits, licences of smoke-emitting vehicles

Lahore Traffic Police have said they will suspend the route permits and driving licences of commercial vehicle operators found running smoke-emitting vehicles, as the city intensifies enforcement against sources of smog and air pollution.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said strict action would be taken against vehicles contributing to air pollution, and that enforcement would reach the operators, not just the drivers. Route permits and driving licences will be suspended for those found violating the rules, he said.

Traffic police have set up special late-night checkpoints to identify smoke-emitting, overloaded and poorly maintained vehicles, according to the CTO.

The figures released by the force put the scale of the drive at 9,998 tickets issued to smoke-emitting vehicles. Action was also taken against 22,241 vehicles operating without fitness certificates or in poor condition, Shirazi said.

A further 233,476 vehicles were proceeded against for overloading, and 6,745 for transporting sand, soil and other pollution-causing materials without protective covers.

The CTO said trolleys and dump trucks carrying sand and soil without protective covers would not be allowed to enter Lahore at all.

Separately, letters have been sent to several government and semi-government organisations asking them to ensure their smoke-emitting vehicles are repaired and maintained on time.

Traffic police officials said enforcement would be strengthened further in the coming weeks to reduce air pollution and control smog, describing the measures as necessary for public health and safety.

The announcement comes as winter approaches, the period in which Lahore's air quality deteriorates sharply each year. Vehicle exhaust is one of the pollution sources the traffic police are tasked with checking; the force did not give a date for when permit and licence suspensions would begin, or say how many operators had so far been referred for suspension.