Bike races, where lives are lost

Racing is a captivating part of childhood. These exciting moments are a source of great enjoyment and pleasure. Conversely, Rawalpindi has something very different to offer. Residents are afraid of bike races. The bike race is the worst type of race, which is full of horror instead of pleasure.

“If you regularly commute through the city’s bustling streets, you already know it is a common practice, which should not be in the first place. Bikes pay little heed to traffic rules and regulations as their only concentration whirls around speeding,” says Zafar Mehdi. “Yesterday, like any other day, two bikes were battling to go ahead of one another and their recklessness snatched away a life full of promises and aspirations,” says Sajjad Haider.

“Last weekend, I, with my sister, was heading to Raja bazaar, one of the busiest parts of the city, when the two racing bikes slammed into one another. Their dreams ended right at that spot and both received severe injuries, just about escaping death,” says Ansar Naqvi. “The two brothers in my neighborhood used to work at the same office and always remained together through thick and thin, but the brutal bike race tore them apart forever,” says Saulat Zaidi.

“In the city, bikes are still racing and hopes and dreams are on a constant verge of collapse. May our hopes survive? May we survive too? Although arrests are made yet the question hovers whether arresting or legislative measures can bring any change,” says Kamran Rizvi.

“Hundreds of city residents take to the streets daily demanding safety by taking hard measures against the violation of law on the roads. Many lives are lost in road accidents every year, according to media reports, but there have been no measures to prevent them,” says Ikram Hussain. “The sorry saga of the streets of the city is more evident as a big portion of the dwellers use bikes to commute, some with broken headlights and mirrors portraying the perennial suffering and agony of the commuters. The death march on the streets has not been stemmed yet, even though lots of accidents have taken place,” says Razi Abbas.

“Congestion and the insane traffic gridlock make it much worse as one has to wait for hours in these unbearable conditions to reach the destinations. Bike riders are not solely responsible for the unprecedented situation. Myriads of vehicles running at different speeds, the carelessness of the commuters, and unethical police are also responsible,” says Fasahat Ali. Mateen Hasan says, “Residents of the city have on many occasions urged the police and experts to find a quick and effective solution to assuage the traffic woes in the city. They have to ease traffic congestion. They need to find a solution immediately; however, so far, nothing is visible.”