324 died on roads in January

Punjab rescue chief decries motorbike speeding, illegal parking

LAHORE:

At least 324 people died in 30,063 road traffic crashes across Punjab during January.

After a detailed review of the emergency response data, Rescue 1122 Director General Rizwan Naseer expressed concern over the high number of casualties and road accidents during the past month.

Presiding over an emergency officers’ performance review meeting, he advised the motorbike riders to follow road safety measures and reduce their speed limit as per the ‘love-30’ campaign adopted all over the world.

Dr Naseer directed all the district emergency officers (DEOs) to educate citizens to avoid illegal parking and especially the commuters about precautionary measures during the ongoing foggy season.

He stressed the need to take immediate action against illegal activities on roads like parking of tractor-trolleys and other vehicles on roadside, plying vehicles with protruding bars, dysfunctional headlights, unregistered locally improvised vehicles and underage driving.

He directed the DEOs to develop coordination with the National Highways and Motorways Police to ensure safety of the commuters by addressing hurdles caused because of vehicles left unattended on speedy roads.

Biker, pedestrian killed

Meanwhile, a motorcyclist died after a collision with a truck on Lytton Road in Lahore on Thursday. The victim, Jahangir Khan, a resident of Sanda, was hit by the truck near the Chauburji Orange Line station. He died on the spot. The body was shifted to a morgue for autopsy.

In another road accident, a 25-year-old pedestrian woman, Sumera Bibi, died after a speeding car hit her near Rehmanpura.

People present at the spot called rescue teams, which shifted her to a hospital. However, doctors at the hospital pronounced her dead.

A road traffic crash in Gulberg left a tractor-trolley driver injured.

The vehicle rammed into a bridge near the Main Boulevard.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2024.