If Pakistan is to traverse into the 21st century along its roads, there is a significant possibility it will not make to it. The twists and turns, the highs and lows, and the bone-breaking lopsidedness of its roads are ensured to dispirit and stall even the most determined travelers.
Developed roads, highways, bridges and ports play a significant role in the economic development and prosperity of a country. In the economy of Pakistan where the services sector contributes around 61% of the total GDP, the domain of transport and communication which represents a sub-section of services is of pivotal importance. In Pakistan, road transportation is preferred for being economical and time-saving. In rural areas, it is the only medium present for the movement of people and freight.
Though the country is home to the world’s 21st largest road network, sprawling 264,401kms, and its roads are among the worst – and deadliest -on the planet. According to the World Economic Forum, Pakistan ranks 77th in the world for the quality of its road infrastructure; the ranking quite aptly paints the dismal picture of its substandard road network. According to the World Health Organization 2015 report, Pakistan ranked 1st in Asia and 48th in the world for most deaths caused by traffic accidents which necessitate the pressing need for improving the road infrastructure on a priority basis.
There is an urgent need to establish an independent autonomous regulatory body for supervising and overseeing the non-highway roads
In the last few years, the quality of highways is gradually being upgraded courtesy a few developments and flagship highway and motorway construction projects pursued under the CPEC and the Public Sector Development Program. The state of highways managed under the National Highways Authority is nevertheless much better than its more traveled roads – the ordinary rural and urban roads, upon which the vast majority of its population travels daily.
A glance at the country’s non-highway roads highlights the absence of basic lane-lines, leave aside more advanced surface markings such as solid, single, broken and double white and yellow lines, diagonal lines, directional lines, zebra markings, parking markings, etc. Most of its local roads are devoid of basic standardized traffic signage. Owing to the unplanned construction, the roads are deprived of any visible boundaries to forestall the wearing off at the edges. The functioning traffic lights for pedestrians to cross a busy junction are rare, and as are walkable sidewalks. For example, in early 2019, the Islamabad Traffic Police confirmed that only 40% of the traffic signals installed in the federal capital are in working condition. This precipitous absence of walkways and pedestrian safety standards equates to criminal negligence in a country where the majority of the public walks on the streets, and many among them suffer accidents because of insufficient walking space. A recent study revealed that 84% of Pakistani roads lack side walkways which befall the lowest percentage in lower and middle-income countries. The facilities present for crossing signal-free roads i.e. underground walkways and overhead bridges are sparsely used by pedestrians owing to a multitude of genuine reasons i.e. safety standards, cleanliness, proper ventilation, and poor drainage.
Virtually no standards are being implemented for potholes and street bumps nor any for sewer vent covers which are afoot above or beneath the road surface, all of which reduce the accessible road space and are significant reasons for mishaps. To make it worse, people have unlawfully encroached tracts of government lands that make roads shrink further. Electricity and telecommunications companies use pavements to install their local grids, poles and junction boxes without following any safety standards. In the busy markets, local administration usually turns a blind eye to large commercial outlets installing their generators on the sidewalks, heaps of construction material and tons of garbage being dumped along the roadside, stockpiles of sand on the edges of the roads or pavements occupied by hawkers – all of which intercept utmost use of the road space.
The example of Karachi in itself is self-illustrative where 75% of the areas have damaged roads coupled with poor drainage facilities which invariably add to the plight of pedestrians and commuters. Karachi remains the unique principal metropolitan city in the world that lacks a mass transit system. In the last couple of years, Karachi alone has incurred losses amounting to Rs47.8 billion in road accidents. The principal reason for this backwardness is the poorly designed road network and obsolete technologies for the road-building coupled with serious delays, corruption, and fraud. These ailing roads are administered by municipal authorities, assorted local bodies and provincial works and services departments, which barely interact with each other to sustain any uniformity or standardization across these roads.
To address these intricate problems, there is an urgent need to establish an independent autonomous regulatory body for supervising and overseeing the non-highway roads. Such a regulatory agency would coordinate with the local authorities for laying and managing of the local roads to achieve some fundamental standardization in road safety measures and roads architecture. It would oversee local roads, coordinate with local traffic police to ensure the enforcement of road safety measures and register complaints from the public. The proposed regulator must be empowered through legislation to initiate anti-encroachment drives against those who have shrunk the roads of the city to make money for themselves. It must conduct surprise financial and quality audits to test the quality of construction material being used, funds outlay for the newly constructed or repaired roads, and take action against any irregularities or defaulting road contractors. Albeit, conditioning the roads alone will not complete the job as there exist the gaping need to improve the driving habits of the road users through a strict driving licensing system, better road signage and rigorous enforcement of penalties through a skilled workforce in the traffic constabulary. The key question that needs to be asked from the concerned authorities if they are coming up with a plan for the improvement in non-highway roads, keeping in view the growing population and traffic volume.
The writer is a chartered accountant and a specialist in global democratic affairs, education, economy, taxation and governance based in Lahore, Pakistan. He has extensive research and hands-on experience in the public sector and can be reached out at arsyed09 @gmail.com | Twitter @SyedAbd90588948