Due to a mechanical fault in the bus, a tragic accident occurred on the M2 motorway that left 13 people dead in the Salt Range near Kallar Kahar. Hence, the police have come up with a strategy to prevent accidents on the motorway.
The strategy includes escorting passenger buses through the Salt Range. The Salt Range on the motorway is a 10 kilometers winding track that is prone to accidents.
The policy is formulated by Deputy Inspector General Muhammad Yousuf Malik. The buses traveling from Islamabad to Lahore will be issued time cards that are used to determine safe places on the highway. Moreover, the movement of each bus will be monitored strictly through patrolling and speed cameras.
As per the plan, the group-specific number of buses will wait at a safe point before the Salt Range, and from there the buses will move in a convoy. The motorway police stated that this strategy will help in reducing the number of accidents that occur on motorways and highways.
The police have a special place at the Islamabad toll plaza where they keep track of information about public service vehicles (PSVs) traveling on the motorway. They gather this information online and it includes details like whether the vehicle is in good condition, has the right permit to travel on that route, and if the driver has a valid license.
According to the statement, the overloading tires safety, emergency exit gates, first aid equipment, indicators, lights, electronic devices safety, and the driver’s appearance along with the bus condition are checked on the spot. Whereas, the buses that are not in good condition and do not comply with safety measures are fined.
A recent accident involving a bus has resulted in a dispute between the passengers and the motorway police. The police blame the driver for the accident and have registered a case against the bus owner and driver, among others.
However, surviving passengers claim that the bus was in poor mechanical condition and that the police did not check its fitness or record a video of the passengers at the toll plaza. The motorway spokesperson disagrees with the passengers’ claims, stating that passengers may not always be aware that they are being recorded.
The accident is being investigated, but the spokesperson believes that the driver’s negligence played a role. Another police department has registered a case based on a complaint from a motorway police inspector, naming the bus driver, owner, bus stand managers, and vehicle examiner.
The inspector reports that the bus was unfit when it left Rawalpindi, and passengers informed the driver and others about its condition but were reassured that it was fine. The bus was also reportedly speeding. The police have filed a case against those responsible for causing damage due to negligence and reckless driving.
No arrests have been made yet, and some bodies have been returned to their families while one remains unidentified in the hospital. One survivor, who is also a driver, confirmed that the bus had issues from the start and denied the existence of a passenger video.
