The government has a duty to design, build and maintain safe roads
KARACHI: Having recently dealt with a rigorously damaged pair of tires, courtesy of the absolute horrendous road conditions, I was forced to pen this letter. I want to highlight the problems caused by the battered roads in our supposedly ‘metropolitan’ city of Karachi. Almost all the roads in Karachi are in ruins. It is a known fact that the citizens of Karachi pay whopping amounts of taxes and decent roads are the fundamental rights of all citizens. While driver errors such as reckless driving and speeding are among the leading causes of traffic accidents, dangerous road conditions are also a significant contributor. Dangerous road conditions may be the result of natural occurrences, such as rains and floods, making driving unsafe — but that doesn’t mean the authorities turn a blind eye towards them.
Various government agencies are responsible for maintaining roads and ensuring they are safe for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, including providing proper signage, lighting, pavement markings, signals and traffic control devices. The government has a duty to design, build and maintain safe roads. If an accident occurs because of hazardous road conditions, the government must be held accountable.
Yasir Qamar
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2016.
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