Under the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) an integrated policing system, aka as the Punjab Safe Cities Project, has been introduced in the second largest province of Pakistan to ensure safety and security of its people.
Using cutting edge technology that provides real time information and intelligence, it provides high quality emergency response to the public. Whether it is traffic management, responding to any emergency situation and maintaining law and order, the PSCA aims to facilitate the general public in every way possible. In this blog, we will discuss the functions, roles and responsibilities of the Punjab Safe Cities Project.
Functions of Punjab Safe Cities Project
Owing to the growing population of Punjab, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority has decided to step up the traffic system in Lahore by introducing some improvements in the road infrastructure in the city, installing surveillance cameras at key points and forming traffic signals with automated timers. Apart from managing the traffic system, there are many other functions of Punjab Safe Cities Authority. Let us take a look:
- Intelligent traffic management system
- 1122 Emergency response
- E-challan system
- Criminal identification
- Virtual surveillance
We will now discuss these in more detail.
Intelligent traffic management system
The Punjab Safe Cities Authority has modernized the policing system. Taken at face value, it is aimed at eliminating the typical ‘thaana culture.’ The modern policing system has brought about a significant change in maintaining transparency, accountability and facilitating residents through various surveillance cameras which provide information on roadblocks, traffic jams and any crime incidents. Moreover, those people who are not following the traffic rules can be spotted through the surveillance cameras and later they are fined through the e-challan system. Due to the increasing number of traffic violations, PSCA has installed automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at different spots in the city, mainly near high traffic areas. The installation of 10,000 additional cameras on 2,000 spots spread across the city is also in the offing.
The surveillance cameras identify those areas that face severe traffic jams and also inform the residents about any road block or high traffic areas. The public is also notified of alternate routes planned for them through a reliable messaging system.
Emergency response system
There is an emergency response system through which residents can report any crime or emergency situation and the relevant police force immediately addresses it through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. Following are the key features of this emergency response system of PSCA.
- Dolphin – Police Emergency Motorbike Squad – The police force on motorbikes can quickly reach the site of disaster and provide quick solution to any problem
- Operational vehicles of police station – Police vans are also well-equipped to deal with any crime incidents or natural calamity
- Traffic police – A special police force is designated to manage the traffic problems and ensure residents are safe on the roads
- Ambulance 1122 – An ambulance service that the residents can avail by calling 1122
- Firefighting services – Special task force is well-versed in dealing with any untoward incident such as fire break out in any part of Punjab
E-challan system
Under the PSCA, an e-challan system has brought about a significant revolution. If you are violating any of the traffic rules such as going through a red light, speeding up and changing the lane suddenly, driving/riding over the speed limit, driving on the wrong side of the road or driving the wrong way on a one-way road, then you will be fined via the e-challan system.
To help you get better acquainted with how the e-challan system works, take a look at the following key points:
- When a vehicle is captured by the ANPR camera violating any traffic rules, the camera automatically takes four pictures and saves it into the “violation folder”. These high-tech cameras are smart enough to sort registered and unregistered vehicles via the number plates on cars.
- The number plate of the car is verified and also the nature of the violation is entered into the system
- The complete details of the violators are then cross-checked with the Excise and Taxation Department
- Once the information is verified, the complaint is then forwarded to the supervisors who further verify it.
- The tickets are then dispatched to the addresses of the traffic violators through courier.
Once the citizen receives an e-challan, he/she is liable to pay the fine within 10 days of its receipt otherwise, the vehicle will be blacklisted and later seized. In case you misplace the receipt or challan, then you can get another copy of it through the Punjab Safe Cities Authority page. The website will ask for the vehicle registration number and CNIC, which will show the details of the challan. You need to get the print out of the challan and take it to the National Bank of Pakistan and the Bank of Punjab.
Criminal identification
With the help of Punjab Safe Cities Authority, criminals can also be identified and prosecuted. Any theft or criminal activity that is caught on the cameras, installed by the authority at various high traffic areas and key points, can help in the investigation process and provide relevant evidence. This has helped in reducing crime incidents in the cities of Punjab.
Virtual surveillance
One of the major features of Punjab Safe Cities Project is virtual surveillance. Through the presence of different cameras, you can detect criminal suspects and traffic violators and offenders. Some of the different types of cameras installed are IP cameras, vehicular cameras, miniature cameras, dynamic event cameras. Through this advanced virtual surveillance system the detection of suspects, data tracking and evidence can be collected easily.
So, this was a quick overview of the Punjab Safe City Project. Don’t forget to write to us at blog@zameen.com and we will surely get back to you. Subscribe to the Zameen Newsletter appearing on the right hand side of the page. Stay tuned to the Zameen Blog and receive the latest updates on construction and real estate trends in Pakistan.
