Safety first

Over crowded private school vans are now a common sight in Karachi. Van drivers, in an attempt to make more money, stuff as many children as they can in their small vans. A good number of children are seen standing on the footboard and hanging on the side bars of Suzuki vans and Rickshaws. These van drivers charge high monthly fee. They also charge for summer and winter vacations as well. But, they do not provide the basic facility of a separate seat to every child. In the name of profit, these profiteers put the lives of innocent children in danger. It is surprising that even the traffic police never objects or pays attention to this gross violation of safety rules.

In our city, the number of road accidents is already high. This kind of negligence and carelessness of drivers can cause even more accidents. It is the duty of the government to take strict action. A bill restricting number of children for schools vans should be passed. The traffic police must maintain proper checks and balances and impose a heavy financial penalty on drivers of overcrowded vans. The licences of such drivers should be cancelled without delay and their vehicles should be confiscated. If such steps are taken, no other driver will dare to violate the law.

Abdul Aziz Khatri ( Karachi )