On the occasion of Pakistan Day, the Karachi traffic police organised a special road safety awareness rally for motorcyclists in collaboration with the Harley Owners Group (HOG) Bikers Club.
The rally, which was led by Traffic DIG Pir Muhammad Shah, commenced from Nishan-e-Haider, Sea View, and passed through Teen Talwar, Do Talwar, Metropole, Sharea Faisal, Drigh Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Stadium Road and MA Jinnah Road before culminating at the Mazar-e-Quaid where the participants paid their respects and offered Fateha for the Founder of the Nation.
Addressing the participants at the rally’s conclusion, the traffic DIG highlighted that over 56 per cent of Karachi’s traffic consisted of motorcycles, and a significant number of road accident fatalities involve motorcyclists. “It is not always the biker’s fault in accidents, but precautions can save lives,” he said.
He emphasised that wearing helmets, and maintaining working headlights, backlights, indicators, rear-view mirrors and chain covers could significantly reduce accidents. He urged the motorcyclists to avoid over-speeding, respect traffic signals and never violate one-way traffic rules.
Speaking to media representatives, DIG Shah raised concern over violations of road safety rules by heavy traffic. “If the owners and drivers of heavy vehicles avoid over-speeding and overloading, they can operate all day without issues. However, many engage in reckless driving to complete more trips, leading to fatal accidents,” he stated.
He also revealed a critical issue in Karachi’s traffic infrastructure stating that only 57 traffic signals in the entire city were functional. “This is a joke with the city. Karachi needs at least 2,000 to 2,500 operational traffic signals to ensure smooth traffic flow,” he said, adding that work was under way to install new signals on MA Jinnah Road, Shahrah-e-Pakistan and other key roads in the coming days.
The traffic police chief stressed that traffic police alone could not guarantee safety and security through continuously imposing fines. “With only 5,000 traffic police personnel in Karachi, road safety requires public cooperation. If both the public and police work together, traffic conditions can improve,” he remarked.
He urged the citizens to prioritise their safety while commuting. “When you take your motorcycle onto the road, remember—your family is waiting for you at home.”
