Balochistan takes steps to contain road accidents

Driver arrested for transporting oil in passenger van

QUETTA:

Police in the Sohrab district booked the driver of a passenger van for carrying oil on the vehicle on the National Highway, as authorities started implementing the decisions taken by the provincial Apex Committee to contain lethal road accidents in the province.

Scores of innocent lives were lost in the accidents, involving passenger buses and vans, on the roads of the province in recent months. Many road crashes involved barrels of oils which caught fire, burning the passengers alive.

In a recent meeting of the Apex Committee, chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, several special measures were ordered regarding the owners and drivers of the passenger coaches, buses and wagons.

The owners and drivers of vehicles on the national highways, especially on the Quetta-Karachi highway, have been directed to ensure installation of trackers to check the speed of the vehicles to protect people’s lives.

The Apex Committee also banned carrying petrol, diesel and other inflammable materials on the passenger vehicles. In this regard the district administrations were ordered to ensure strict implementation of these measures.

Acting on the decisions, Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqailli directed the commissioners, deputy commissioners and provincial transport authority to check the speed of passenger vehicles and take legal actions in case of any violations.

Following the orders, all the district administrations have started the checking of passenger vehicles on the highways passing through their areas, as well as the movement of petrol, diesel and other inflammable materials.