LA HORE: Rolling back the decades-old traffic police system in Punjab, the chief minister has accorded approval to abolish the 5,877 positions of specialised traffic cadre of Punjab police -from deputy superintendent of police (DSP) to the rank of constable -to enforce the `Traffic Warden Service`alloverthe province.The positions being abolished are DSP (31 in Basic Scale-17), Inspector (200 in BS-16), subinspector (453 in BS-14), assistant sub inspector (552 in BS-11), head constable (924 in BS-09) and constable (3,717 in BS-07). These posts are being re-designated in accordance with the new service which is already enforced in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi and Sialkot.

Amendments to traffic wardenservice rules have also been finalised, it is learnt.

According to the official documents available with Dawn, the process to re-designate the positions in six categories has begun.

The documents say a notification has also been issued by the Inspector General of Punjab Police in this regard.

The IGP had sent a summary to the chief minister to have the traffic warden system all over theprovince with an expenditure of Rs872 million, followed by a working paper regarding proposed amendments to the Service`s legal framework.

According to the scheme approved by the CM, the post of constable has been re-designed as traf fic assistant, HC as senior traffic assistant, ASI as junior traffic warden, SI as traffic warden, inspector as senior traffic warden and DSP traffic police as trafficofficer.

An important fact of the proposed amendment is that the recruitment and retirement age has also been revised for the officials in four categories under the new system. They are traf fic assistants, senior traf fic assistants, junior traf fic wardens and traf fic wardens.

According to the amendment, `the minimum and maximum recruitment age for the traffic assistants shall be 18 and 22 years respectively while their retirement age has been ixed 50 years.

`Similarly, the minimum and maximum recruitment age for the senior traf fic assistant and junior traf fic warden shall be 19 and 23 respectively.

However, their retirement age is the same mentioned for the traf fic assistants.

`The traffic warden shall retire at the age of 55 while the retirement age of the restincluding senior traffic warden and traffic of ficer shall be 60 years.

Under the new arrangement, say documents, the recruitment of traffic assistants shall be made on the basis of intermedi-ate qualification. The traffic assistants and junior traffic wardens shall be recruited on the basis of graduation degree.

Ithas been decided that initially the direct recruitment shall only be made in the rank of junior traffic warden and traffic assistant. Keeping in view the financial constraints, it has been declared that the transport may be provided in two phases. In the first phase, patrolling vehicles costing Rs310.6 million and specialised/communication equipment of Rs61.6 million may be provided immediately for effective traffic management in 30 remaining districts.

While in the second phase, the remaining transport costing Rs423.7 million may be provided in February 2017.ate qualification. The traffic assistants and junior traffic wardens shall be recruited on the basis of graduation degree.

Ithas been decided that initially the direct recruitment shall only be made in the rank of junior traffic warden and traffic assistant. Keeping in view the financial constraints, it has been declared that the transport may be provided in two phases. In the first phase, patrolling vehicles costing Rs310.6 million and specialised/communication equipment of Rs61.6 million may be provided immediately for effective traffic management in 30 remaining districts.

While in the second phase, the remaining transport costing Rs423.7 million may be provided in February 2017.