In the densely populated city of Karachi, instances of motorcycle accidents have been steadily increasing over the past few years. Many motorcyclists are left with severe injuries that often lead to paralysis or memory loss while others may remain handicapped for the rest of their lives. According to reports, almost 30,000 incidents are reported while at least 1,000 fatalities occur in the city every year.
The whole issue has been undermined for far too long. The concerned authorities need to shed some light on the matter as the issue will exacerbate fairly quickly owing to increased motorcycle sales in the city. Perhaps the main issue remains the deplorable condition of the city. The vast majority of people aren’t able to afford luxuries such as cars and therefore resort to cheaper modes of transportation. Furthermore, cheap materials used in building roads and bridges have resulted in the formation of gaps and cracks which can cause motorcycles to skid resulting in dreadful injuries. Under-age driving is yet another issue that poses a grave threat to motorcyclists as young boys have the tendency of speeding which could lead to horrific collisions with other passing vehicles.
The whole transportation system of the city needs to be redesigned bit by bit with proper ingenuity so as to alleviate the longstanding transport problem. Apart from that, the authorities, specifically the traffic police, need to be vigilant as the smallest of oversight could cause insurmountable damage.
Parvaiz Rana
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2020.
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