Criminal record verification of Lahore's commercial drivers in the offing

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>LAHORE: The city traffic police have initiated verification of the criminal record of 348,000 commercial vehicle drivers following reports that they were involved in 48 percent of the total fatal road crashes.</p> <p>The decision was taken during a high-level meeting, where official data pertaining to repeated crashes and unsafe driving history of commercial and public service vehicles was presented.</p> <p>Chaired by Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi, the meeting reviewed the growing trend of commercial vehicle-related crashes and formulated a strategy to address the underlying causes. SP Headquarters Fakhar Bashir Raja had been assigned a special mandate to conduct an in-depth analysis of crash patterns and recommend evidence-based interventions to prevent future fatalities.</p> <p>A traffic police spokesperson said that the meeting was informed that Lahore had approximately 8.2 million registered vehicles, including 348,000 commercial vehicles, representing nearly five percent of the city’s total registered vehicle fleet. Despite their relatively small share, he said, commercial vehicles were involved in 48 percent of fatal road crashes, underscoring the need for immediate regulatory and enforcement measures.</p> <blockquote> <p>Traffic police data shows commercial drivers involved in 48pc of all fatal road crashes</p> </blockquote> <p>The meeting passed directions to the relevant police officers for the verification of the criminal background, driving history, licence status, and overall eligibility of every commercial and public service vehicle driver.</p> <p>“Drivers with criminal records, a history of repeated traffic crashes, habitual traffic violations, or conduct posing a threat to public safety will not be granted permits or licences to operate commercial vehicles,” said CTO Sherazi. He said that transport unions and commercial vehicle owners had been instructed to ensure that no driver was employed or entrusted with a vehicle without proper background verification, including a valid character certificate and complete record clearance.</p> <p>The move would help bring down serious and fatal traffic crashes across the provincial capital, the CTO said and warned that vehicle owners and transport operators who knowingly employ or facilitate high-risk drivers would also be held accountable under the law.</p> <p>“Accountability will extend beyond negligent drivers to those who enable them. Owners who disregard safety standards by allowing unfit drivers to operate commercial vehicles will face strict legal action,” he said.</p> <p>The meeting also resolved to undertake verification of driving licences of all commercial and public service vehicle drivers and granted approval for strict enforcement action against individuals found operating vehicles with fake, forged, expired, suspended, or otherwise invalid driving licences.</p> <p><em>Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2026</em></p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.