LAHORE: The Punjab Traffic Police has carried out a detailed study of a tendency among the citizens to drive without a licence, creating potential risk of fatal road accidents, environment pollution and traffic violations.

The disturbing data analysis shows that a total of 23,391,195 vehicles are registered across Punjab.

Of them, the driving licences have been issued against 4,567,612 vehicles, showing a large number of registered vehicles plyingon the roads of Punjab with their drivers not having driving licences.

The official data shows that out of the total 23,391,195 registered vehicles, 72,45,290 are registered in Lahore but the licenses have been issued against 6,94,733 vehicles registered in the city.

It has been revealed that a majority of the drivers/ owners of the vehicles never bothered to obtain traffic licenses either due to negligence or other reasons. The tendency to drive without valid legal documents (traffic licences) on the highways as well as the city roads has created a potential risk to the lives of the people.

An official says many factors contribute to the sorry state of affairs and at the top of them are the cumbersome procedures at the traffic driving licencecentres. He says most of the centres are badly damaged due to the lack of staff, extraordinary rush of the citizens and the complaints of bribery.

Most of the centres don`t provide all the facilities under one roof, prompting the citizens to go to the agent mafia to pay hefty amounts to obtain licences, he says, adding that though the incumbent traffic police regime in Lahore and other parts has addressed many complaints to facilitate the citizens, many issues are yet to be resolved.

Recently, he adds, Lahore Chief Traffic Officer retired Capt Mustansar Feroze has taken some initiatives to make the entire process of obtaining driving licence `paperless` to get rid of the agent mafia. He says the CTO has also allowed the citizens having domiciles or national identity cards of other provinces to obtain a driving licence from Lahore. This step is encouraging the people to drive on the roads with valid legal documents (driving licence).

The official says that Mr Feroze has directed all the sector in-charges and other traffic police staff deputed at the centres to simplify the rules of `driving test` with a prime purpose of encouraging people to get the maximum number of driving licences. He has also increased the numberofcountersatthe centres by deputing more officers to clear the pen-dency of applications.

Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar has approved the proposal to make the process of issuing driving licence paperless with a prime object to facilitate the citizens in obtaining traffic licences. He has also abolished the old and traditional procedure of `file system,` saying the citizens can now get their driving license by just showing the national identity cards and paying the proposed fee to any traffic office or police service centre in the province.

Dr Usman has announced that there will be no need to carry copies or files of any document, including the national identity cards, passports, photos etc, to get drivinglicenses.

`Under the modern integrated system, the traffic police Punjab will now initiate the entire process on the submission of just the CNIC for issuance of traffic driving licence` the IGP says.

Declaring it a historic step, he says that the citizens would be able to get their driving licence easily without any recommendation or hassle.

Dr Usman Anwar says the citizens who want to get an international driv-ing licence would have to bring their passports to the centres. He further announced that he has approved a new proposal for the citizens to use their own vehicles for driving test at the traffic police centres. However, the video recording of each driving test would be made a part of the police record.

The IGP claims that the aim of this initiative is to make the issuance of traffic licence easier for the citizens so that the maximum number of citizens of the province can get their driving licence.

Dr Usman says most of the citizens are not getting the driving licence considering the process difficult.

`Now all the difficulties have been removed by simplifying the entire system while the working hours of the licence centers have also been increased.

The IGP said the facility of issuance of driving licence has been extended in the police service centres across the province.

The citizens in the major cities of the province can get this facility 24/7 (seven days a week) while in the police offices of small cities, they can get this facility in doubleshifts. He further adds that the computerised system is being introduced in all the licensing centres of the province and the `agent mafia` will also be completely eradicated with paperless working.

Obtaining a driving licence in a dignified manner is the fundamental right of every citizen which will be provided to him/her accordingly.

Dr Usman Anwar has asked the millions of citizens who are driving vehicles without licences to visit the nearby centres of Punjab traffic police to get their licenses.