Defective motorbikes instigate road collisions

As the Traffic Police intensifies its crackdown against underage drivers in an attempt to improve road safety levels, the plethora of out-of-order motorbikes instigating fatal road accidents across the city, seemingly go noticed.

In face of a peaking population and soaring inflation, motorbikes have assumed the title of being the ‘poor man’s ride’, as a large segment of the low-income population including students and daily-wagers turns to the cost-effective mode of private travel for fulfilling their daily commuting needs within a limited budget.

However, while two-wheelers might be a saving grace for citizens battling tight finances, they have increasingly become a source of chaos for commuters on the roads, as many bikers refuse to repair faulty headlights and dysfunctional horns, resulting in frequent, fatal collisions on the roads.

For Naeem Rauf, a young biker disabled in a traffic accident due to dysfunctional headlights and indicators, the problem hits too close to home. “A few months ago, I was returning home late at night on my motorbike, which had missing headlights and broken indicators. As soon as I took a right turn, I was unexpectedly hit by a car coming from behind,” shared Rauf, who fractured a leg during the accident and is still undergoing treatment for its repair.

Read: Bikers sans helmet to receive e-challan

Sharing his two cents on the matter, Tayyab Raza, a professor at a private college discerned that the reckless usage of motorbikes among young boys had become an increasingly pertinent issue. “Apart from the one-wheeling culture, young boys these days are quite fond of modifying their motorbikes for racing purposes. Such trends seriously jeopardize road safety and parents, teachers and the police must join hands to curtail them,” opined Raza.

According to sources obtained by The Express Tribune, 15 million motorbikes out of more than 18.6 million two-wheelers plying across roads in Punjab, were operating without front and rear headlights, side indicators and horns while the rear number plates of many others were either broken or missing. As a result, motorists or drivers of commercial vehicles could neither see these bikes from a distance, nor determine in which direction they were turning, leading to frequent road accidents especially during foggy weather conditions or the dark hours of the night.

Furthermore, according to government rules, a number plate is required to be installed on a motor vehicle for its identification on both the front and rear, but more than 80 percent of motorbikes operating on roads across Punjab were operating with a front or back number plate which was either broken or missing, which not only complicates their identification by the Punjab Safe City cameras but also by eye-witnesses following a hit and run incident.

According to statistics obtained by the Punjab Rescue 1122 Department, almost 1200 road accidents occur on a daily basis across the province, out of which approximately 900 involve motorbikes.

Even though the Traffic Police is quick to take action against motor bikers riding without a helmet, major faults in headlights, indicators, horns and number plates are not dealt with seriously and the bikers are not reprimanded, due to which the violators continue to operate their defective motorbikes on roads.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, Additional Inspector General (IG) Traffic Police Mirza Faran Baig said, “Written instructions have been issued to all the Chief Traffic Officers (CTO)’s of Punjab to take action against violations involving missing headlights, indicators, helmets, and licenses of the motorcycle rider alongside invalid or non-existent number plates.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2024.