Curbing accidents

The gory accident at Babusur, that took more than 26 lives, shows that the tragedy of casualties in road accidents in Pakistan is increasing due to lack of safety measures adapted by transporters, and untrained and unqualified drivers plying on long routes without any fear and playing havoc with the lives of innocent passengers. Countless families lose their bread earners and thousands of travelers are crippled for life owing to the negligence of such drivers.

Another factor contributing to fatal accident is the road-worthiness of vehicles. Similarly, drivers are not given proper rest by transporters and fatigue leads to low efficiency and high risk of accidents. There is a dire need for an appropriate transport policy encompassing all areas of transport and entailing a complete code of service for drivers. Regular periodical medical checkups will also ensure their health and reduce the accident ratio which is indeed very high in our country. Unfortunately, there is no relief for the deceaseds' heirs.

Iftikhar Mirza

Islamabad