Pakistan - A fiery collision

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

There is no shortage of calamities to befall the citizens of this hapless nation. As if frequent terror attacks were not enough, governmental neglect and lack of interest in the affairs of the masses have led to exceedingly distressing death tolls almost every other week. The latest case in point is the tragic accident between a bus and an oil tanker on a highway near Karachi. The fiery collision has led to the deaths of more than 62 people with scores more injured. The bus is nothing but charred remains and the victims are so badly burnt that the bodies are fused together, of which six children and their mothers were found clinging to one another. The bus was overcrowded and the tanker was speeding on the wrong side of the road — all the factors needed to end the lives of the many people on board. While this is a terrible accident, it comes as absolutely no surprise in a land where there is no system to ensure that there is safety on the roads and highways.

There is no system of monitoring and regulation of the kind of vehicles we have out there, putting the lives of everyone on the roads in hazard. Most of these wagons, vans and buses are not up to safety standards with shoddily put together spare parts made to resemble a transport vehicle. They are driven by careless drivers who are always in a rush to get to their destination, caring little for the safety of other people on the roads. Our highways are a particular cause of concern where speed limits are almost always violated and the lack of a proper highway police force is a glaring flaw. The motorway between Lahore and Islamabad has a stellar motorway police force and that is the model that needs to be emulated elsewhere too. Drivers driving on the wrong side of the road need to be taken off the road before they cause irreparable damage. Many vehicles do not conform to safety regulations but there is no check on them. CNG cylinders explode, engines are faulty, seatbelt regulations are not followed, but everyone gets away with breaking rules all the time. There needs to be proper management of the vehicles on our roads. There must be a proper system to check that tankers carrying petrol and hazardous chemicals be driven by only the most trained and reliable drivers. This accident needs to be an eye-opener otherwise too many people will continue to die fiery deaths on our roads.