Heavy vehicles have become killing machines: SHC

Karachi
The Sindh High Court observed on Tuesday that the road accidents were increasing with each passing day and heavy vehicles had become “killing machines”.
Justice Salahuddin Panhwar observed that the time had come to take immediate steps hold the owners and drivers of these vehicles responsible for the damage they caused.
The court ordered the National Logistic Cell and others to pay Rs20,160,000 to the legal heirs of Abdul Haque Ghori, who had died in a road accident on August 22, 2005 because of the negligence of an NLC truck driver within the jurisdiction of the Jackson police station.
The plaintiff, Hina Ghouri, and her children had filed a case against the NLC and its driver for killing her spouse. The court observed that world had acknowledged the need of third-party insurance with an object to ensure immediate compensation to the family of road accident victims.
Those who earned or received benefits should bear little expenses for third party insurance as this would be an immediate relief for the affected parties, the court observed.
The court also noted that there were many superior court judgements whereby the pains of the victim families were discussed with a view for certain steps to be taken by the government to frame some mechanism that could not only ensure extensive care and caution by the owners and drivers of such vehicles, but also immediate compensation. The court observed that it was responsibility of the legislators to bring changes in the existing law.
The court also noted procedural changes should be made in laws including the motor vehicle rules wherein strict and compulsory insurance for third parties should be ensured.