The accident near Khairpur should get the same attention that an airplane crash does
HYDERABAD: Road accidents are frequent in Pakistan and claim many lives annually due to the poor condition of roads, badly-maintained vehicles and reckless driving. The brutal accident in a collision between a passenger coach and a truck near the Theri Bypass area near Khairpur claimed the lives of at least 59 people, with fatalities including women and children. The incident highlights many problems in the traffic management system. Traffic laws are not observed and no repercussions are faced by those who make a mockery of these laws. Sleep-deprived drivers are some of the most reprehensible people to grace our roads.
A huge chunk of the responsibility also falls on the shoulders of the National Highway Authority and other organisations engaged in road construction. There are single carriageways, especially inter-city roads, where many accidents have been reported, whether due to overtaking or not turning properly on curves. We need to enforce strict road safety laws. The way most buses and coaches are driven, there is always an accident waiting to happen. Their drivers do not realise that they are responsible for the lives of hundreds of people. The accident near Khairpur should get the same attention that an airplane crash does, but unfortunately, we just take a brief note of road accidents and then move on without taking rational measures involving the repair of roads and implementing traffic laws regarding reckless driving.
Nasir-ud-din Soomro
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
