This year Pakistan Motorway Police allowed bikers to take part in a solidarity rally from Lahore to Bhera Interchange on Motorway-II in connection with the National Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The adventurous rally was planned and organized by the NHA and Motorway Police Pakistan at ravi toll plaza.

Fifty members of the Bikers Club from all over Pakistan, allowed by Pakistan Motorway Police to take to the motorways with heavy bikes, started their journey in different groups. But unfortunately some bikers diverted their bikes toward Faisalabad and a few bikers left for the capital city of Islamabad and Kalarkahar.

Enforcement of rules and regulations on some of the influential heavy bikers will be a major challenge for the National Highways and Motorways Police Pakistan.

Later, Pakistan Motorway Police Inspector General Dr Wasim has allowed heavy bikes on the motorway on an experimental basis.

But permission has been granted to the bikers on the repeated requests of the Bikers Club whose members are from ‘influential’ segment of society. These young bikers will be able to use the motorway for the first time after the operation of M-II since 1997.

State Minister for Information is also among other members of the Bikers Club.

Motorway officials did not object to the running of bikes on the motorway but they also did not rule out the possibility of dangerous bike racing.

They said the patrolling officers could monitor and regulate them like other motorists but the bikers could violate speed limits keeping in view the culture prevailing in Pakistan.

It is not an uphill task to check racing on the motorway as one patrolling vehicle covered 12 kilometers stretch. According to him, a small number of heavy bikes would most probably use the motorway.

It has been observed that some motorists do violate the speed limit on the motorway whenever they get the chance -- either after crossing a patrolling vehicle or a speed checking camera.

There are some other motorists who do not mind being fined for over speed violation.

According to a police officer, who supervised the Lahore traffic police in the past, said heavy bikes with 550CC and above engines were operational in USA, Canada and European countries with specific permission. There was no bar on the plying of heavy bikes on motorways but regulating them would be a challenge for the motorway police.

The motorway police must ensure use of helmets, safety kit, mechanical checking of bikes and proper route permits before allowing the bikes on the expressway.it was also a daunting task for the police to check speeding and racing. Recently a special SOP has been designed to regulate the operation of heavy bikes and the motorway police have enough capabilities to implement rules and regulations.

Bikers would be allowed to ply on the motorway after fulfilling registration, route and fitness criteria.

Unfortunately bikers respect traffic rules and regulations in developed countries but Pakistanis do not.