LAHORE, Jan 28: Giving way to an ambulance is a violation of traffic rules if the ‘discretion’ of traffic wardens is something to go by as instances of issuing challans to motorists over flimsy grounds have multiplied manifold.

Going by the wardens’ book, driving a car in the extreme left lane of any major road is another offence even if one has to turn left like jumping zebra crossing for allowing an ambulance to go and waiting there to turn the signal green. The new rules have recently been enforced by traffic wardens, especially on Jail Road, Gulberg’s main boulevard besides The Mall and other thoroughfares where no lane marking exists.

A motorist, Yasir, told this reporter outside a bank branch on Gulberg’s main boulevard that at the Firdous Market he had crossed the zebra crossing to give way to a Rescue 1122 ambulance. “The signal was red and another car had occupied the space when the ambulance passed, but I was fined Rs500 for violating the signal.”

Farooq was heading towards a mechanic in his car on extreme left lane of The Mall at a dead slow speed when he was asked to stop by a traffic warden. “I offered the warden to himself check the car that had developed some fault in its electric system. But the warden handed over me a fine slip for Rs1,000 after almost snatching my driving licence.”

A speeding car had hit and broken down the right indicator of Aamer’s motorcycle when he applied brakes at the Kalima Chowk intersection. “The warden witnessed the whole episode, but instead of stopping the luxurious car for violating the signal used indecent language and gave me a Rs200 challan,” Aamer said. — Zaheer Mahmood Siddiqui