As many as 138 motorcyclists, 79 pedestrians, and 29 other road users were killed in 246 fatal road accidents this year in the metropolis as per police reports; unfortunately, 80 per cent of accused drivers in these accidents were not arrested or punished, Karachi Traffic Police DIG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh told PPI on Monday.
The DIG said there is dire need to establish a mechanism that can deal with accidents in the city so that negligent drivers are held and punished if they are found involved in any mishap. He said that the figures are only half of the number of accidents that actually happen, the other half are not registered. He said police officials do not focus on accident cases as much as they do to criminal cases, and that is a reason drivers are not punished.
Amir said that the traffic police should be given the power to deal with road accident cases in the city so that the cases can be pursued in court and punishments can be handed out. There is a dire need to open traffic police stations to create better traffic system in the city, he added.
Amir said that poor training of drivers is another factor that results in many accidents in the city. He said, “We should make our licensing system at par with the European countries’ licensing systems as in these countries it is easy for a person to get a job but very difficult to get a valid driving license.”
A better motoring school system could cultivate a sense of responsibility among new drivers, so these schools should be monitored by relevant authorities. He said all departments related to transport should work under one umbrella to perform their duties, only then will a better traffic system be ensured. This will help reduce the accidents to death ratio automatically.
