The Punjab chief minister’s office said on Tuesday that the provincial government had decided in principle to issue motorcycle licenses and smart cards to 16-year-old drivers.
The traffic police’s crackdown on traffic violations across the province left motorists in an uproar as they filed over 4,600 cases and arrested around 3,100 citizens, including a large number of schoolchildren, during the last 72 hours, creating criminal records for most of them.
The parents criticized the Punjab government for criminally profiling these children, saying it would have long-term consequences on their careers and calling it an overreaction on the part of the traffic police.
According to a statement from the office, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed displeasure over minors being handcuffed for violating traffic rules.
“In principle, the decision has been made to issue smart cards and motorcycle permits to 16-year-olds,” the statement reads. “Traffic police across the province will also organize an awareness week for the public, especially students.”
The statement added that a warning will be issued to motorcyclists who do not wear a helmet on their first offence, while traffic police officers will use police drones and body cameras for the first time.
“Parents should play a bigger role in enforcing traffic rules, more than children and students,” CM Maryam said. “Traffic rules are created to protect people. The public needs to change their habits for their own safety.”
He added that he did not want to arrest children, but stressed that they must obey the law.
“It’s not the children’s fault, we don’t teach them to wear helmets,” the CM said. “Parents should teach their children the importance of helmets for road safety.”
Last week, the Punjab government introduced 20 major reforms to the 60-year-old Traffic Act, aiming for better traffic management in the province, including a decisive offensive to end driving underagewhich can be punished with six months in prison.
