By: Muhammad Usman Khan
While the opening and expansion of various roads may have streamlined the flow of traffic in the capital, but have also encouraged amateur motorists and motorcyclists to exhibit acrobatic stunts.
The adventures of these motorcyclists and motorists during the late night hours and during midnight has been seen to cause nuisance on the newly opened avenues and expanded roads.
These acrobats endanger not only their own lives, but the lives of others.
Scores of them have been injured, and some have even lost their lives to this spirit of adventure so far, yet the practice continues due to a lack of effective checking and proper racing tracks in the capital.
The motorcyclists drive customized vehicles; they alter parts of the bike and replace the factory made parts with components that can improve the bike’s acceleration the speed of the bike.
A normal bike that has a top speed of 80 kmh can go up to 100kmh increased by alteration.
A resident of a sector G-7/4 Zafar said they disturbed routine life of the nearby residents by making noise particularly at the weekend.
The speeding bikes and cars, mostly driven by ill-behaved youth remain on the rampage on the roads of the capital during the weekends, bringing the tall claims made by the traffic Police to ground.
Hundreds of motorcyclists riding bikes without helmets keep on driving like crazy men on the capital roads, creating panic among the people who have ventured out of their homes on the weekends.
With little check by the police to control the unruly youth, the youngsters screech, perform all sorts of stunts, besides one-wheeling on all the major roads of the city, virtually bringing other traffic to a standstill.
Aslam, a commuter on Murree road, said the young drivers not only endangered their own lives but those of others as they not only drove rashly, but also violated traffic rules by driving in zigzags instead of keeping their lane, creating further confusion on the roads.
They are often joined by groups of youth on bikes, driving recklessly on the roads, sometimes with silencers removed, disturbing the atmosphere on Murree
Road, he added.
Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) claimed that all possible efforts were being made to curb such stunts, particularly on weekends. “Sometimes, it becomes impossible for us to stop such acts as the people perform these stunts just for the sake of adventure. On seeing policemen, they drive normally but after passing through police cordons, they recontinue the performance of these stunts to disturb the people,” a high official said.
When contacted, SSP (Traffic) Malik Matloob said that special deployment was ensured at 7th avenue, 9th avenue, Margallah road, Jinnah Avenue, Blue area, Faizabad, Rawal Road, Bhara Kahu to check one-wheeling and racing on weekends.
About police efforts to curb one-wheeling, he said that various teams of ITP patrol were deployed on weekends to curb rash driving. He said, “One-wheelers drive their bikes in form of groups and police teams regularly monitor their activities. Police officials work in teams, maintain coordination and inform each other about one wheelers making stunts on roads. They are trapped after stopping the traffic in the areas of violation through barriers,” he maintained.
The SSP (Traffic) Malik Matloob said that more than 4000 bikes had been impounded in various police stations of Islamabad on August 14, 2016 after strict vigilance and monitoring. He said that no unfortunate incident happened on the occasion as several casualties of one-wheelers were reported from various cities.
However, sources in Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that these adventurous drivers should not lose heart as the authority planned to set up motor-bike and car racing tracks at Lake View Park.
The project was aimed at providing recreational and healthy activities to the youth, the source added.
The SSP (Traffic) appealed the parents and teachers to refrain the children from indulging in one wheeling saying that although it was a thrill but it endangered the lives of their children as well as other road users.
He warned that traffic police would take strict action against the violator of road safety laws, and challenged the safety of citizens, and that it would maintain the traffic discipline in the capital.
About awareness among youngsters to refrain themselves from such practices, Malik Matloob said that education teams of ITP visited various educational institutions, government, non-government organizations to deliver lectures about road safety.
He, however, said the cooperation of parents was the key to curb such practices.
