Mardan police launch campaign against speeding

PESHAWAR: The Mardan police have started a campaign against motorbike riders in the Katlang tehsil following public complaints that they were over-speeding and endangering their lives and also those of others.

The cops have already booked three young men during the campaign and charged them for over-speeding and also indulging in one-wheeling. The cases were filed at the Katlang Police Station on the direction of District Police Officer Sajjad Khan. Those nabbed were Adnan Hayat and Amjad Ali from Babozai village and Umair Ahmad from Sharifabad village. The local elders and villagers had complained that the youngsters were often over-speeding and some were one-wheeling on the Katlang-Sangao and Katlang-Babozai roads and had caused injuries to a number of persons, including children. This trend was seen more often on the weekends and during holidays when the people go to the Sangao mountain range on the Katlang-Sangao-Buner road for picnic. The elders demanded that use of helmets for the motorbike riders should be made mandatory as it could save lives and serious injuries.

Meanwhile, over-speeding vehicles too have caused accidents on these roads and killed and injured people. The casualties are rising due to lack of proper check by the police on the errant drivers. A number of children were hit and killed in Katlang, Matta, Ghundo, Inzargai and other places on these roads.

The elders demanded that proper speed-breakers should be built on the roads to keep the drivers from over-speeding. They said the speed-breakers made by the people themselves should be replaced by those made by the department concerned in keeping with the rules.