NAROWAL: In a first in the Sialkot district, female traffic wardens have been assigned field duties with a view to boost confidence among the women drivers and help reduce the number of accidents.Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Hasan Iqbal has started implementing a comprehensive traffic plan, including appointment of female wardens, in the city.

The DPO has instructed the women wardens to do field work to ensure strict implementation of traffic rules and reduce theincreasing number of road accidents.

Women wardens and officers have been deployed on important roads, intersections and areas with a heavy traffic in Sialkot.

According to the plan, the traffic rules will be strictly enforced and legal action willbe taken against drivers without driving licence and helmet.

Underage motorcyclists indulging in racing and wheelie will also be proceeded against to check fatal accidents. Women traffic wardens also school young motorcyclists without helmets and licences on roadsafety and traffic rules.

Sialkot police spokesperson says that the traffic police have opened driving schools in the four tehsils of the district --Sambaryal, Daska, Pasrur and Sialkot -to raise awareness about traffic rules and road safety.

He says the traffic police department is issuing driving licences to those who clear test in these driving schools.

Sialkot Traffic Sector In Charge Rubina Haider told Dawn that people mostly respect women traffic wardens and did not misbehave with them. However, she says, some complaints have been received regarding misbehaviour by driversof commercialtransport vehicles with the women traffic wardens. She adds that many of these commercial drivers offer bribe when stopped for any violation, but women wardens dis-courage such practices.

Ms Saima, Sector In-charge Sambaryal, says she volunteered for the field duty, adding that people respect female wardens more than they show for male officers. Two local businessmen, Amin Awan and Atif Ali say that women wardens can play an important role in reducing violation of traffic rules and speeding.

DPO Iqbal told Dawn that it is for the first time that women wardens have been assigned field duties in Sialkot, hoping the initiative will give positive results.

He says the initiative has been taken as per the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, adding that the move will help boost self-confidence among women drivers.

He says that due to the women wardens, women will also feel safe while driving independently on the roads.

He says a driving school has been opened in the Government Girls College University of Sialkot, where female students will be trained and issued licences after clearing test so they can independently drive to the varsity.