Poor road engineering fails ITP road safety policy

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

By Vidya Rana

ISLAMABAD: Traffic unfriendly Islamabad roads, roundabouts and underpasses are resulting in failure of Islamabad Traffic Police’s (ITP) road safety policy, as road accidents are on the increase.

According to the reported cases, about two car accidents are occurring daily in the capital, besides those accidents, which never get reported with the police. During last week, six accidents took place that claimed one life.

Mirvais Niaz Khan, Superintendent of Police (SP), Traffic Division, said there were multiple reasons for car accidents in the capital. He said lack of patience was one of the major reasons for such mishaps. He said due to poor designs and engineering of roads, underpasses and roundabouts, it was difficult to enforce road safety measures.

While giving an example of accidents in the inner streets of different sectors, he said, “Ideally the outer wall of a house built in the corner of a street, should be angular so that one could have a fair idea what is ahead. The case is otherwise when it comes to the inner streets of a sector, he added.

He said due to VVIP movement in the capital daily it was really a cumbersome task to manage each and every vehicle with a total strength of only 580 men and women in the department. “Of total strength 80 personnel are either on deputation, training or leave,” he added. He said they functioning with the 500 personnel, 30 motorbikes and 40 cars meant for patrolling”.

Daily Times observed that most of the car accidents could be averted if parents did not allow their children under 18 years of age to drive. Many accidents happen due to underage drivers and lack of strict implementation of rules by the ITP.

The SP said ITP had recently adopted a policy to control underage driving. “We have formed two different teams to check such vehicles driven by youngsters. We call parent and sensitise them about their responsibility to protect their own children and other road users by taking small measures,” he said, adding, the policy was being followed vigorously.

Contrary to the SP claims, one can see teens in the driving seat of black Pajeros moving on roads at the speed of jet planes. Odd U-turns and traffic cuts, dangerously close to the newly built underpasses, make such driving fatal for both the impatient youth and other road users.

It has been learnt that the Capital Development Authority while planning new infrastructure of roads and parking did not consult ITP.