Illegal billboards causing accidents on Bhara Kahu road

At least four people were killed and one seriously injured in a tragic traffic accident near Bheera Bridge in Bhara Kahu police station in the federal capital.

Arrangements by the traffic police to monitor speeding at night on this thoroughfare are yet to see the light of the day. As many as 125 precious lives were lost in traffic accidents last year due to the lack of a 100% efficient and effective system to curb speeding by the traffic police in the district.

According to police, at around 2am, five persons were travelling in a car from Rawalpindi to Murree, colliding with a giant signboard near Go company petrol pump near Bheera Bridge. Four passengers died on the spot, while one sustained severe injuries and was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital Islamabad, where his condition is being reported as critical.

While talking to The Express Tribune, an official of the area police station said that while the incident seems to be either the result of speeding or the driver’s probable drowsiness, an investigation will be carried out to rule out other potential reasons as well.

He said that one important factor that will be examined is the possibility of the giant signboard having been installed on encroached state land, as building unplanned structures on main roads and highways can be a major cause of accidents as well.

The deceased have been identified as Hamza Abbasi, Mumtaz Abbasi, Farhan Abbasi, and Sohrab Abbasi, while Subhan Abbasi was seriously injured.

The police have confirmed that no Safe City speed-monitoring cameras were installed around the accident site, which is one of the busiest highways of the twin cities.

Additionally, the absence of arrangements for patrolling the area is also a glaring oversight. They acknowledged that the combination of the two factors play a contributing role in the loss of precious lives every few days.

A senior officer said that the number of fatal traffic accidents in the Federal Capital Territory has also increased to a dangerous level in the year 2021 as compared to 2020, with 125 people killed in traffic accidents and some 700 severely wounded and maimed last year.

The main reason for this is that Islamabad Traffic Police does not have a 100% efficient system to monitor speeding.

In response to a question, he said that increasing annual targets for fines could be one of the reasons for the failure of traffic police to prevent fatal accidents. It has been observed that rather than taking steps to create awareness among citizens about traffic rules, imposition of heavy fines is being increasingly prioritised, he said.

The official went on to say that had the traffic police awareness campaigns been effective, there should have been a noticeable decrease in the percentage of fines collected. However, the reality is completely opposite, with the ratio of fines continuously increasing.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2022.