Drivers of smoke-emitting vehicles will face licence suspension in Lahore

Punjab government has decided to suspend the driving licences of drivers of vehicles spewing smoke as part of its enhanced fight against air pollution and haze in Lahore.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi announced the decision on Sunday as part of the provincial government’s anti-smog program, which the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had directed.

The new enforcement measures will also suspend the route permits of commercial vehicles that violate emission regulations. The city traffic police have also banned entry of tractor-trolleys and dumpers transporting sand, soil and other construction material without tarpaulin covers and warned that violators will face penalty under the law.

Mr Shirazi said more than 114,000 smoke-emitting vehicles have been penalized during the current fiscal year, highlighting the extent of the campaign. Under the anti-smog campaign, authorities registered 1,401 incidents and took action against approximately 53,000 cars carrying exposed construction material and 188,000 unsuitable vehicles.

Traffic police are employing an artificial intelligence-based system to catch vehicles emitting excessive pollution and have written to various government ministries pressing them to ensure their fleets met environmental guidelines, he added.

As Lahore prepared for the yearly smog season, the CTO said that officials would continue to implement a zero-tolerance policy against automobiles causing air pollution.