LAHORE: City Traffic Police Lahore have removed 5,327 beggars from traffic signals across the city so far this year. The removals are part of a large-scale operation ordered by Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi.
According to the CTO, those removed include 1,970 men, 2,207 women, 608 transgender persons and 505 children. This breakdown accounts for 5,290 people, 37 fewer than the stated total.
Police registered 947 cases against beggars who continued despite repeated warnings.
The CTO said more than 3,500 beggars were shifted to Edhi Homes, 40 children to the Child Protection Bureau and 954 to the Social Welfare Department.
A pilot project for the rehabilitation of beggars has also been launched. A jhuggi school has been started for children, aimed at those who would otherwise spend their days at intersections.
Shirazi said data on arrested beggars is being obtained with the help of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and FIRs are being registered against them.
Police are also searching for beggars who tamper with traffic signals at night. Tampered signals cause confusion and jams at intersections, giving beggars more time to approach stopped vehicles.
The CTO has directed Safe City traffic monitoring teams to ensure that no one begs at any traffic signal. This includes children, the elderly, women, transgender persons and anyone using a disability as cover. The teams have been told to keep field staff informed of the situation minute by minute.
Shirazi said begging at signals disrupts the flow of traffic and increases the risk of accidents. People moving between lanes of vehicles, often including young children, are in real danger when the signal turns green. He said habitual beggars fake disabilities to win sympathy.
Begging in Punjab is regulated under the Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance, 1958. Authorities have increasingly paired enforcement with welfare referrals, as this year’s figures show.
Social sector experts say the long-term answer lies in separating organised begging networks from people in genuine need. Organised networks often exploit women, children and people with disabilities. People in genuine need require shelter, livelihood support and education for their children. The rehabilitation pilot and the jhuggi school are steps in that direction, and their outcomes will be closely watched.
The CTO appealed to citizens not to let their hard-earned money go to fraudsters. He said discouraging begging would improve society and help traffic flow more smoothly.
Citizens who wish to help people in need are encouraged to give through registered charitable and welfare organisations.
The drive is part of the traffic police’s broader zero-tolerance approach announced this month.
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