Editorial
Death on the highways
Concrete measure needed to prevent mishaps
OUR highways continue to be death traps. The figure of people killed while traveling during the recent Eid holiday is fairly representative of what happens on such occasions every year. In fact deaths due to accidents on the highways have been on the rise, disconcertingly so. And it is the passengers and passersby that bear the immediate brunt of these accidents, not to speak of the economy, which, reportedly, suffers to the extent of two percent of the GDP every year.
It appears to us that nobody seems to take notice of these mishaps, and at the risk of sounding cynical one wonders why, given the state of the roads, the conditions of vehicles and the competence level of drivers that use the highway, and the scant oversight by the enforcing agencies, the rate of accident is not higher. Sheer luck mainly.
To start with, the main highways connecting the capital and other major towns and cities, particularly the port city must be widened. Whoever has heard of a one way highway, and that is what the actual character of our so called highways is. To make matters worse, major portions of these roads are without dividers, and that enhances the risk of accidents manifold. And seldom does one come across in any other country highways that weave and meander like a river. This is a recipe for accidents and the government must act with haste to see that the dangerous bends are straightened.
As for the drivers and the state of vehicles that ply the roads, it is entirely the fault of the authorities that unfit drivers on unfit vehicles get to play with the lives of passengers. And this can be prevented by strictly monitoring the roads and the vehicles. The highway police, that is conspicuous by its absence on the highways, must make examples of the errant drivers. And those with fake licences must be dealt with most severely. Needless to say, the manpower and resources of the highway police should be increased forthwith.
It needs to be restated that those who are tasked to ensure safety of roads must not forget that due to their negligence, and sometimes their complicity, so many lives are lost every year on the highways.
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