Passengers' safety should be of primary importance
LAHORE: A video has recently surfaced which showed two women in the compartment of the railway driver, with one controlling the steering wheel of the train. It happened near Lahore. The video was filmed by the driver himself and he is heard telling the women to increase the speed. While the news might not one wonder at first sight that what is wrong with a woman being handed over control of a train carrying hundreds of passengers, but the fact remains that such an act was highly irresponsible on the part of the driver.
A Pakistan Railways train can go at the maximum speed of 150 km/h. While it is not known what track the train was on, the driver encouraging the woman to increase the speed is extremely discomforting to watch. For someone who is not trained to driving trains is being told to go faster, when even a few people can be seen near the tracks, it was almost a tragedy waiting to happen. Only recently, Shalimar Express derailed near Faisalabad, causing casualties. Another accident, had it occurred, would have resulted in not just loss of precious lives, but also set back the railway ministry in the projects it aims to undertake to improve the railways.
Under the numerous new projects the railway ministry has planned, it should also start a training programme for its drivers. The training should include emphasising the responsibility that the driver has towards passengers. New safety measures should also be introduced in the trains – where the driver’s cubicle is only accessible through a passcode known to the crew only. This will not only prevent such incidents where drivers willingly hand over control to passengers but also preclude the chances of hijacking.
I urge the railway minister to take notice of this incident and hold the driver accountable. Action must be taken against him in order to prevent any such incidents taking place in the future. Passenger’s safety should be of primary importance.
Sameera Bilal
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2019.
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