Published on 12:00 AM, September 04, 2018

Death on the highways

It seems that road accidents on our highways are increasing by the day. I am quite distraught at the news of road crashes being published in the newspapers every day. According to the Passengers' Welfare Association, in the 13 days during the extended Eid-ul-Azha holiday, at least 259 people were killed and 960 others injured in 237 road accidents across the country. People's lives have become so cheap that after so many deaths on roads, hardly any steps have been taken by the authorities.

We need to overhaul our traffic system completely. The road transport authorities must ensure that every driver has a valid driving license and every vehicle has a fitness certificate. The traffic police must take action against the reckless drivers and the traffic rule violators. Also, the higher authorities must ensure that the traffic police perform their duties properly. It is not understandable why it is so difficult for the authorities to enforce some simple rules on the streets. Why do they turn a blind eye to the mismanagement in the transport sector? I would like to remind the authorities that road safety is not a privilege, it is a right of every citizen. They should comply with the directives given by the prime minister in order to stop deaths on our roads and highways.