SOCIETY: RULING THE ROADS
At the PIDC signal in Civil Lines, Karachi, three traffic constables signal for the traffic to stop. Impatient bikers keep creeping ahead until they occupy substantial space at the intersection. It is only when the constables shout at them that the bikers stop swarming forward. As soon as the signal turns green, the bikers speed away, hurling insults at the traffic officers, leaving them coughing in a cloud of black smoke and dust.
This is a common occurrence at any given traffic signal in Karachi, especially during the peak hours. The drivers have become extremely impatient due to prolonged traffic jams, and it is not unusual for the public to misbehave — or on occasion even get into a tussle — with traffic wardens.
“People blame us for traffic jams; they come and fight with us when we give them a ticket,” says Sub Inspector Wahid Bakhsh. He is a seasoned sergeant from Karachi who has been managing traffic for more than 22 years. “But drivers brazenly break traffic laws. They don’t understand that we can’t keep the traffic moving if they aren’t willing to listen to us. The public needs to cooperate with us as we have been trained to facilitate the flow of traffic and clear congestions [or any other traffic problem] as quickly as possible.”
Bakhsh, who has a bachelor’s degree, is in charge of the Karsaz section. He spends most of his day patrolling at Karsaz, National Stadium and Shahrea Faisal.
Most readers might chuckle at the mention of traffic police being ‘trained’ as there is a widespread misconception about the efficiency of traffic police. Bakhsh is not astonished at this public misconception. He simply calls it a case of obliviousness. “The truth is that every sergeant needs to enrol in mandatory courses as he/she progresses in his/her career,” he says.
The traffic police in Sindh and Balochistan is not at par with the other two provinces in terms of incentives and merit-based promotions
After recruitment, young trainees enrol in a three-month training programme at the Traffic Police Training Institute in Saeedabad, Karachi. They are then deployed as constables in the field for a probationary period of three years, after which they are eligible to take the A1 examination. Depending on the number of vacancies, A1 test scores and field performance, the most eligible constables are promoted as Head Constables (HC).
Only after serving for three years do HCs become eligible to take B1 and lower courses in order to be promoted as Assistant Sub Inspectors (ASIs); another three years and the officers can take an Intermediate course to apply for the post of Sub Inspector. Lastly, they take what is called the upper course to apply for the position of Inspector. After this, an officer’s promotion to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Superintendent of Police (SP), Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Additional Inspector General (Add. IG) is based on performance.
“An official is only promoted after he/she clears the respective course and shows excellent performance in the field. Our promotions, bonuses and cash rewards are dependent on our performances, so why wouldn’t we do our jobs sincerely?” asks Bakhsh.
While Bakhsh and I were talking, nearby Head Constable Sanaullah* had issued a ticket to a Corolla driver. The driver’s offence: “He was over-speeding and talking on his mobile when he suddenly turned left without using indicators. He could’ve collided with the car in the extreme left lane,” explains Sanaullah.
Sanaullah holds a bachelor’s degree from Islamia Science College. When asked about the notorious chai-pani exchange (a small bribe that wardens demand in order to let offenders off the hook), he initially evades the question. But later he launches into a lengthy explanation: “When we issue tickets, violators try to bail out by offering us bribe. When we protest, they accuse us for giving them a ticket wrongfully. However, I won’t lie — there are corrupt officers who ask for bribes. Some people want to make extra cash.”