THE latest Road Safety Country Profiles Report of the World Bank should serve as a timely warning for the Government as far as realization of the goal of road safety is concerned. It has concluded that Pakistan would need an investment of 5.15 billion dollar to ensure road safety by way of improving the road infrastructure with clear economic advantages of 49.48 billion dollars and a substantial reduction in accidents and the resultant casualties.
The report not only provides a baseline for monitoring progress on vital metrics for road safety but also guides action as clear advice and references regarding robust policies and other interventions are provided to countries facing specific challenges, allowing them to take direct action on priority issues and opportunities. According to National Highway and Motorway Police, 15,000 to 16,000 people are killed annually in traffic accidents but it is all the more alarming that Pakistan ranked first in Asia and 48th in the world for most deaths caused by traffic accidents. The figures are conservative as these are based on reported cases while many accidents get unreported and there are also question marks about gathering and compilation of correct data by the authorities concerned as has also been highlighted by the World Bank. Experts say that 67% of the accidents could be attributed to human errors, 28% to poor infrastructure and deteriorating condition of roads and 5% to unfit vehicles. This means that the occurrence of accidents can significantly be reduced by focusing on areas like awareness, proper licensing, training of traffic police, fitness of vehicles and more importantly improving the infrastructure. The World Bank report calling for huge investment in infrastructure should serve as an eye-opener for those who were critical of construction of world quality roads and highways as well as metros that contribute much to safety on roads. There is, therefore, need for greater financial allocations for roads both by the Federal and provincial governments and in view of increased rail accidents, necessary investment should also be made to ensure safety of rail journey.
