Criminal record verification of Lahore's commercial drivers in the offing

Lahore's city traffic police are initiating a criminal record verification for 348,000 commercial vehicle drivers, a move prompted by alarming statistics showing their involvement in 48% of all fatal road crashes. The decision emerged from a high-level meeting that examined official data on repeated crashes and the unsafe driving history associated with commercial and public service vehicles. Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi chaired the meeting, which focused on the increasing trend of commercial vehicle-related accidents and outlined a strategy to tackle their root causes. SP Headquarters Fakhar Bashir Raja has been tasked with conducting an in-depth analysis of crash patterns and proposing evidence-based interventions to prevent future fatalities. The meeting was informed that while commercial vehicles constitute about 5% of Lahore's 8.2 million registered vehicles, they are disproportionately involved in fatal accidents. Consequently, directions were issued for the verification of criminal backgrounds, driving histories, license statuses, and overall eligibility of every commercial and public service vehicle driver. CTO Sherazi stated that drivers with criminal records, a history of repeated traffic violations, or behavior posing a public safety threat will be denied permits or licenses. He also warned that vehicle owners and transport operators who knowingly employ or facilitate high-risk drivers would face legal accountability. "Accountability will extend beyond negligent drivers to those who enable them. Owners who disregard safety standards by allowing unfit drivers to operate commercial vehicles will face strict legal action," he asserted. The verification will also extend to driving licenses, with strict enforcement against those operating vehicles with fake, forged, expired, or invalid licenses.

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Drivers with criminal records, a history of repeated traffic crashes, habitual traffic violations, or conduct posing a threat to public safety will not be granted permits or licences to operate commercial vehicles.