Safety rods mandatory from Feb 1 as Lahore Police rolls out Basant plan

• Lahore CCPO says fine to be imposed on bikers riding with without safety rods as part of Basant safety plan
• Says kite flying allowed only on Feb 6, 7 and 8, warning of zero tolerance for violations
• CCTV cameras, drones and special control rooms to monitor celebrations

LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana on Wednesday announced that fines would be imposed from Feb 1 on motorcyclists riding without safety rods, as part of a comprehensive safety plan for Basant aimed at protecting lives and property.

The announcement was made at a ceremony held at the Town Hall to formally launch the installation of safety rods and a public awareness campaign under the Safe Basant initiative. The event was jointly organised with Lahore Commissioner Maryam Khan and attended by senior officials, including CTO Lahore Athar Waheed, Deputy Commissioner Lahore Capt (retd) Ali Ijaz, and representatives from Rescue 1122, health, education, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA). During the ceremony, safety rods were installed on motorcycles, while awareness pamphlets were distributed among citizens.

Addressing the gathering, the CCPO said the Basant Safety Plan had been devised to ensure the protection of life and property across the city. Under the initiative, one million motorcycles would be fitted with safety rods free of cost. He reiterated a policy of zero tolerance for aerial firing, warning that strict legal action would be taken against violators. He added that a special traffic management plan had also been finalised for the festival.

Sharing enforcement details, Mr Kamyana said police had registered 1,078 cases and arrested 1,115 individuals during the ongoing month in operations against illegal kite flying. He said more than 40,000 illegally manufactured and sold kites and 926 spools had been seized. He clarified that kite flying would only be permitted on Feb 6, 7 and 8, and that strict action would be taken against violations on any other day. Legal action would also be initiated against parents or guardians of children found involved in illegal kite flying.

The CCPO said round-the-clock monitoring would be carried out during Basant through special control rooms established at the Safe City Authority and the commissioner’s office, with surveillance conducted via CCTV cameras and drones. He urged the media to play a responsible role in promoting safe celebrations from Feb 6 to 8.

Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Maryam Khan said that, on the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister, district and police administrations had been fully mobilised. She said a special campaign was underway to ensure public safety, particularly for motorcyclists, adding that a free ride service would be available across the city during Basant.