LAHORE – The Punjab government is all set to launch two revolutionary projects in order to bring the traffic system and policing at par with international standards within months, officials said here on Thursday.
The ‘Intelligent Traffic System (ITS)’ project will be completed in the provincial metropolis by the end of September this year while Model Police Stations (MPSs) would be established by the end of this year.
Under these plans, the government intends to equip the police and traffic system with latest information technology not only to uplift the institutions but also to enhance vigilance and monitoring of the government departments.
“It will be a revolutionary change, the people will experience. Under the ITS scheme, we are developing Intelligent Traffic System. We have also created an auto issuance of traffic routes by centralizing the traffic signal system. ITS will be at par with international standards, also for the very first time in this country,” said Dr Umar Saif, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).
According to the approved scheme, the government planned to install five to six cameras at each traffic signal across the City. Initially, 86 points have been identified where cameras and loop-detectors would be fixed to detect the traffic violators besides ensuring proper surveillance on the leading arteries through the Command and Control System being established at the 5th floor of the IT Park.
“Like the Western countries, the violators of traffic rules will be caught on camera. The new system will automatically send a photo of the number-plate of the vehicle to the command and control system, in case the driver tries to escape from the scene,” country’s leading computer scientist Dr Saif explained. The command and control system will immediately inform the relevant departments and a fine or challan chit will be sent at the residence of the violators, he added. Apart from traffic management and control, the new system will also help law enforcing agencies keep a strict surveillance at leading arteries and in important areas. According to Umar Saif, the project would be launched in early July and to be completed by the end of this year. In order to develop an intelligent traffic system, the PITB has successfully created auto issuance of traffic routes and now is working on e-ticketing for the buses especially for the BRT or Bus Rapid Transport system, he added.
The PITB Chairman further said that the government is establishing 100 Model Police Stations (MPSs) across the Punjab.
A sophisticated tracking system will be installed on each police mobile van while the policemen’s activities inside the lock-ups, reporting rooms, investigation cell, and weapon store-room would be monitored through a centralised system round-the-clock.
All the 26 police registers would be made online under this initiative. “The Chief Minister’s vigilance cell will actively contact the complainant and check the status of the cases in order to help public get justice and to ensure strict check on the policemen,” he maintained. From the registration of crimes to police record of recovered items, everything will be made available online,” he added.
Initially, Dr Umar Saif explained, we are connecting five leading government departments with the IT Park through latest technology.
Through the new system, the government will also monitor and provide technical help to all the Educational Boards to improve the working of the educational boards especially during error-free examination process.
Similarly, the data of diseases and patients at all leading public hospitals would be properly maintained to keep a strong check on possible epidemic of water-born and communicable diseases.
Through the case management system, the CM’s cell would get feedback from litigants while the Copy-Branches of the high court would be made online to facilitate the public in general.
The government is also implementing a system to make the registration system online at Union Council level as far as death, birth certificates, and marriage registration are concerned.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated Arfa Software Technology Park established at Ferozepur Road in February this year. Equipped with all modern IT facilities, the tallest building had been named after, Arfa Karim, the youngest IT wizard in the world who died at 16 early this year.