Proactive initiative: Walk, race on foot, cycle to raise awareness
Police organise event in attempt to improve road safety.
Photo of a child distributing road safety flyers. PHOTO: PRESS RELEASE
KARACHI:
Muhammad Wazir, a young cyclist from the troubled area of Manghopir, won the 14 kilometre-long cycle race that was held on Sunday at Boat Basin.
The Karachi traffic police organised the cycle race along with a marathon and a walk to create awareness regarding traffic rules and road safety.
One side of the Khayaban-e-Jami was closed for traffic from Boat Basin to Schon Circle and traffic was diverted onto the other side. Dozens of men, women and children watched the Mounted Police squad and the police band who were marching on the road while playing drums.
Some of the policemen wore white T-shirts and distributed brochures and booklets containing information about traffic rules and road safety, while others were making announcements on loudspeaker from inside a camp that was set up on the roadside.
“We are gathered here to create awareness among drivers and road users by using unique methods,” said sub-inspector Muhammad Tufail, who came to the camp on his day off with his wife and children. “We have arrived on the conclusion that we cannot create awareness through enforcement of fines. We Pakistanis are used to breaking the rules and we don’t even think that we have committed a crime and instead try to justify it.”
Traffic AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo and traffic DIG Arif Hanif were also present at the camp and were distributing medals and cash prizes among the winners of the races.
“The races and the walk is part of our weak-long traffic awareness campaign,” said Thebo, before explaining the aim of the campaign. “We are here to save lives by sending a message through this walk in which every citizen is welcome to participate.”
He said that traffic affects every individual in society. “A society can be judged from its traffic,” he said. “We will continue organising awareness campaigns from time to time to refresh people’s memory.”
The traffic AIG said that the police have made agreements with the Social Research and Development Organisation who, in collaboration with the traffic police, will deliver lectures for the drivers of commercial vehicles.
The races
In the cycle race Muhammad Asif from Baldia town finished second as Muhammad Irfan from Orangi Town claimed third place. The winner of the race, Wazir, told The Express Tribune that he takes his bicycle, which is worth Rs90,000, to Mauripur where he practices regularly. “The traffic police informed me about the race and I reached here with my bicycle,” he said. “Winning the race depends on your practice. I could have covered the distance quicker if we had a good road or proper cycling tracks.” Wazir, who is only able to find ad hoc work, is often faced by a financial crisis but cycling is his passion and he refuses to give that up.
In the marathon, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abrar Hussain and Danish claimed the top three spots respectively in the one-kilometre race. In the women’s race, Saadia Bashir took first position and Shiza Altaf and Shanza Shahid finished second and third respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2014.
Muhammad Wazir, a young cyclist from the troubled area of Manghopir, won the 14 kilometre-long cycle race that was held on Sunday at Boat Basin.
The Karachi traffic police organised the cycle race along with a marathon and a walk to create awareness regarding traffic rules and road safety.
One side of the Khayaban-e-Jami was closed for traffic from Boat Basin to Schon Circle and traffic was diverted onto the other side. Dozens of men, women and children watched the Mounted Police squad and the police band who were marching on the road while playing drums.
Some of the policemen wore white T-shirts and distributed brochures and booklets containing information about traffic rules and road safety, while others were making announcements on loudspeaker from inside a camp that was set up on the roadside.
“We are gathered here to create awareness among drivers and road users by using unique methods,” said sub-inspector Muhammad Tufail, who came to the camp on his day off with his wife and children. “We have arrived on the conclusion that we cannot create awareness through enforcement of fines. We Pakistanis are used to breaking the rules and we don’t even think that we have committed a crime and instead try to justify it.”
Traffic AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo and traffic DIG Arif Hanif were also present at the camp and were distributing medals and cash prizes among the winners of the races.
“The races and the walk is part of our weak-long traffic awareness campaign,” said Thebo, before explaining the aim of the campaign. “We are here to save lives by sending a message through this walk in which every citizen is welcome to participate.”
He said that traffic affects every individual in society. “A society can be judged from its traffic,” he said. “We will continue organising awareness campaigns from time to time to refresh people’s memory.”
The traffic AIG said that the police have made agreements with the Social Research and Development Organisation who, in collaboration with the traffic police, will deliver lectures for the drivers of commercial vehicles.
The races
In the cycle race Muhammad Asif from Baldia town finished second as Muhammad Irfan from Orangi Town claimed third place. The winner of the race, Wazir, told The Express Tribune that he takes his bicycle, which is worth Rs90,000, to Mauripur where he practices regularly. “The traffic police informed me about the race and I reached here with my bicycle,” he said. “Winning the race depends on your practice. I could have covered the distance quicker if we had a good road or proper cycling tracks.” Wazir, who is only able to find ad hoc work, is often faced by a financial crisis but cycling is his passion and he refuses to give that up.
In the marathon, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abrar Hussain and Danish claimed the top three spots respectively in the one-kilometre race. In the women’s race, Saadia Bashir took first position and Shiza Altaf and Shanza Shahid finished second and third respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2014.