Daily Times

KARACHI: A speedy passenger coach killed a teenage student in Patel Para on Friday.According to eye witnesses, the boy, identified as Ghulamullah, was dressed in his school uniform, crossing the road when the coach run over him and critically injured him. He died within no time. The conductor of the bus also lost his life in the incident, while four of the injured are in critical condition.

“The passenger coach was racing on the under construction road with a minibus and due to over-speed the buses lost control and run over the young student and the conductor,” said eye witnesses. The bus driver fled away from the scene.

The accident occurred a day after a public bus turned over near Baitul Mukkaram Mosque, University Road due to high-speed, killing four people and injuring nine.

In a other tragic incident , a girl who had been critically injured in an accident by a mini bus on University Road, around ten days ago, died on Friday.

The girl Hunza who had suffered injuries ten days ago when two racing buses hit her near Federal Urdu University, died on Friday. She was crossing the road when she was hit by a fast-pacing bus. She has been on ventilator for nine days at a local hospital of the city.

Large numbers of students of Federal Urdu University boycotted their classes and held a protest demonstration against the increasing road accidents on main University Road. They were chanting slogans against, Sindh Government, Karachi City Government and administration of Federal Urdu University. Later, Deputy Mayor Karachi, Arshad Vohra reached the university and talked to the protesting students. They also blocked the main University road, which was later cleared by police.

“Just in last one week, six students of university have died in road accidents, but despite that the government authorities are not taking notice,” said Zabit Iqbal, president, Talba Mahaz Action Committee, Federal Urdu University, Karachi.

Talking to Daily Times over phone, he said that there are no university point buses since last eight months, due to which students have to travel in public buses and due to the construction of the road, accidents have became routine.

“Construction of roads is a good thing, but they need to provide alternate routes for the transport and also the university needs to provide point buses,” he said.

He said that after the protest by the students, Deputy Mayor Karachi, Arshad Vohra had reached the university and had assured that families that each of girl students who has lost her life will be given Rs. 0.5 million, alternate routes will be provided and also within one week, university will get two point buses.

“If they failed, we will launch a series of protest,” he warned. We demand that the compensation which has been announced is not an alternative of human loss and we feel that appropriate justice should be served and the responsible should be held accountable .

On other hand, when Daily Times contacted Sindh Minister for transport, Syed Nasir Ali Shah to get his view point, he said that Bilawal House has restricted us not to talk to media persons.

Recently, provincial government of Sindh has started several schemes of road construction in different parts of the metropolis without providing alternate routes. Due to which, the city has not only witnessed massive traffic jams, but the road accidents have also became routine in the city, specially on the University Road.

Earlier, The Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah took notice of the accident which had occurred on Thursday and directed the Sindh IG AD Khawaja to constitute an inquiry committee to probe the mishap. The IG had directed the DIG traffic and DIG East to submit the inquiry report and point out those responsible for the tragedy. Till Friday nothing had been probed and another accident has also occurred.