ISLAMABAD-Islamabad Traffic Police constituted Capital Highway Inspection Patrolling Squads (CHIPS) and Quick Response teams to ensure smooth flow of traffic on city roads and ensure implementation on the traffic rules.
These teams have been constituted following directions of Inspector General of Police, Islamabad Aamir Zulfiqar, according to the police officials. The decision will also help ensure strict action against those involved in violation of the traffic rules. Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic)) Farrukh Rasheed said that efforts were underway to ensure safe road environment in the capital and make it an accident-free city.
It seems that the idea of ‘CHIPS’ has been derived from the American crime drama television series that originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) TV Network, an American English-language commercial terrestrial television network from September 15, 1977 to May 1, 1983. ‘CHIPS’ followed the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol.
The series ran for 139 episodes over six seasons, plus one reunion TV movie in October 1998, according to the information available on the social media. Over the course of six seasons and 139 episodes, California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers Francis Llewelyn Poncherello and Jonathan Andrew Baker (better known as Ponch and Jon) took audiences for a weekly thrill ride across Los Angeles.
The average episode was loaded with car chases, massive freeway pileups, new romantic interests, special guest stars, introductions to the latest trends, and last, but certainly not least, a crime that could be solved in 60 minutes or less. ‘CHIPS’ had been a favourite drama for youngsters on the PTV in 1970s.
Along with steering away from guns, Ponch and Jon rarely used their fists. They never roughed up a perpetrator no matter how big of an accident was caused and they often took young, aspiring criminals under their wing and try to set them straight.
Looking back at ‘CHIPS’ 40 years later, the show was a perfect English crime drama television series even in Pakistan.
According to SSP Farrukh Rasheed, special Traffic education and law-enforcement campaign has also been launched in Islamabad to create awareness among road-users about traffic rules. For the purpose of acquaintance with the traffic laws, brochures and pamphlets are being distributed to mobilize the community for cooperation with police officials and follow traffic rules, he said. He was of the view that lane violation, over speeding, jumping red signal, ignoring pedestrian rights are the main violations at present committed by the road-users. The CHIPS and QR teams have been constituted to check such violations through strict patrolling and monitoring at important roads of the city. “We all have to feel responsibility and make traffic system improved through mutual cooperation.
People are not fined over traffic violations as punitive measure but the purpose is to ensure their own safety and make their journey safe through compliance of the traffic rules,” the SSP added.
He said that special traffic education and law-enforcement campaign will remain continue to ensure smooth traffic flow through cooperation of the citizens.
Moreover, he said, police pickets have been erected at various points including Faizabad, PWD, Daman-e-Koh, E-11, Zero Point, Police Foundation to take action against those motorists driving tinted glass vehicles, using mobile phones, not fastening seat belts, committing lane violation and over-speeding.