23 May 2004	Sunday	03 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, May 22: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) will mark zebra crossings at over 100 places on various city roads at a cost of Rs2.5 million. Several locations at busy thoroughfares have been identified by the Transport and Communication Department of CDGK.

This was stated by District Officer (DO) Transport and Communication Department of CDGK Zaffar Ahsan while delivering a lecture to drivers on road safety at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Saturday.

He informed that his department had set up zebra crossings at 85 places on various busy roads, urging drivers to let children, women and the blind cross roads at the sites of the zebra crossings.

Citing the holy city of Madina, he said, owing to effective implementation of Islamic laws, drivers stop their vehicles at zebra crossings to allow people cross the roads, however, deplored that the situation was quite different in Karachi.

He said: "Drivers here in Karachi seldom stop their vehicles or even slow down to let people cross the roads," he deplored.

He called upon the traffic police to remain vigilant in order to discourage this attitude, and challan anyone found violating the zebra crossing rule.

The DO transport said that owing to the lenient attitude of the traffic police, on average two persons die daily in traffic accidents in Karachi.

"Of these two people who die daily in traffic accidents, 51 per cent are pedestrians, out of which 26 per cent are children," he informed.-PPI