Lahore plans mandatory driver fitness certificates to improve road safety
- Proposed medical checks will assess drivers’ eyesight, colour vision and psychological fitness.
- Free checkups are available at designated counters at Services Hospital and Mian Munshi Hospital.
- Transporters have been directed to employ licensed drivers, install vehicle cameras and follow safety rules.
Drivers in Lahore will be required to obtain fitness certificates alongside the existing requirement for vehicle fitness certification, the city’s Chief Traffic Officer announced during a road safety seminar, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.
The proposed measures were outlined at an event organised by Lahore Traffic Police under the “Safe Punjab, Safe Roads” initiative, bringing together traffic authorities and transporters to discuss road safety and smog prevention.
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Drivers will undergo medical examinations to assess their eyesight, colour blindness and psychological fitness. Mobile medical camps will also be established to make the examinations more accessible.
Special counters at Services Hospital and Mian Munshi Hospital have been set up to offer drivers free medical, eye and psychological checkups.
Addressing the seminar, the CTO described vehicle emissions as a major source of smog, saying they accounted for 83 per cent of the problem. He called for effective action to curb pollution from transport.
Transporters were directed to install cameras in their vehicles and ensure that everyone employed to drive holds a valid licence.
The CTO also ordered strict enforcement of requirements for freight vehicles to have working tail lights and reflectors and to operate within their designated hours.
He directed officials to take legal action against trailers transporting sand or soil without proper tarpaulin covers, saying uncovered loads allow material to spill onto roads and contribute to pollution.
Representatives of the Bus, Mazda and Truck Associations, led by Tanveer Ahmed Jatt, pledged their support for the road safety and smog control measures and cooperation with traffic police to improve compliance with traffic regulations.
