The horrible accident in Washuk district of Balochistan on 29 May in which 28 passengers were martyred and 23 others were injured is yet another depressing reminder of how dangerous our highways have become. At least 50 people were traveling in the ill fated bus that was on its way to Quetta from Turbat when it met with the accident in the Kalgani area of Basima tehsil. Local administration officials said the bus went out of control after colliding with the big mountain and fell into the seasonal stream by breaking the railing of a bridge.
The accident was so intense that twenty-seven people died on the spot and 24 others were injured. In this accident, the province lost some of Balochistan's brightest brains,(Darvesh Aziz , Dr.Ayub ) whose presence would have made a huge difference in the province in these difficult times. In recent years, the number of fatalities in road accidents has gone up dramatically in Balochistan. It appears that poverty is not the main issue of Balochistan rather highway accidents are.
Unfortunately, 6,000 to 8,000 people die each year in accidents on single lane roads in Balochistan province. The number of casualties in road accidents are higher in Balochistan than incidents of terrorism. Balochistan has a staggering 40,000- kilometer network of road infrastructure. Besides over-speeding, wanton disregard for traffic rules and lack of check and balance of authorities concerned on buses is widespread.
The authorities need to investigate whether the driver involved in the Washuk highway accident had received enough rest. If not, the bus company concerned needs to be penalized, while it should be ensured that drivers of long distance routes get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel. There should be zero tolerance for overspeed- ing and hazardous overtaking, particularly on the highways. For the state, road accidents may not be headline news, but thousands of precious lives lost every year can be saved if better road safety measures are enforced.
It is very unfortunate that no matter how many lives are lost, road accidents are not dealt with as a 'crime' that needs to be investigated to fix responsibility and punish the violators. The authorities can also minimize road accidents by strictly implementing vehicle safety standards and punishing traffic violators, besides ensuring that road conditions are safe. The transport department had introduced a tracking system to control over-speeding but it seems it has not been implemented strictly which is in fact a big negligence. The government of Balochistan must take a serious action against such irresponsible transportation in order to save innocent lives.
Hafeez Baloch
Gichki