The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and traffic police on Wednesday jointly organized an awareness session to sensitize people on road safety and traffic rules and urged people to be extra cautious when on roads, particularly in a city where lack of town planning has compounded traffic problems.
Chief Traffic Officer Rao Muhammad Naeem Shahid said that road safety principles must be part of every individual’s attitude, adding it was possible only through awareness and not merely by imposing fines or penalties. MCCI vice president Asim Saeed Sheikh and traffic advisory committee member Nasir Mahmood Sheikh stressed that traffic laws advocacy should begin from homes. They promised that MCCI would continue to play a constructive role in the advocacy campaign.
CTO Naeem Shahid said,”We must honour road safety rules and it begins the very moment we set foot or direct wheels on the road.” He said that 30 per cent of accidents involved motorcycles and advised bike riders to be extra careful while driving and avoid acrobatic manoeuvres like one-wheelie, besides wearing wear helmets. “Helmets and fastening seat belts are meant for the safety of road users’ life,” the CTO stressed. He said the traffic police were facing problems in managing traffic due to a lack of town planning in Multan adding: “We cannot compare the Multan city with premium housing societies like DHA or royal orchards.” The CTO said that traffic police had adopted a biometric system with paperless documentation and its driving license services were continuing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Former MCCI president Khawaja Muhammad Usman, former SVP Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah, ex-VP Khawaja Muhammad Farooq, Khawaja Muhammad Faazil, and executive committee members Ehtasham ul Haq, Sheikh Muhammad Waseem and Sheikh Tahir Amjad also spoke and highlighted the need for aggressive awareness drive to lessen accidents in the country.
