A VERY harrowing accident took place recently at Rahim Yar Khan when two speeding buses, loaded with passengers, collided head-on, killing about 30 passengers and injuring about 50 others. I think everybody must have grieved over this manmade tragedy. This, in any case, will soon be forgotten being an everyday affair, except for the unfortunate victims and their families.

I fully support the thrust of your editorial on the subject (Oct 18) that there is a need for ‘concerted efforts to investigate’ and take follow-up measures to avoid such accidents in future.

As a short-term measure, however, it can be ensured that all public transports are adequately insured with a reputable insurance company and foolproof mechanism is laid down to provide adequate compensation to the victims so that they don’t have to either go to courts or look to the government for compensation. Let the insurers pay.

It may be of interest to note that in the Bhoja Air crash case the airline had set up an office and nearly all the affected were paid about five million rupees each from the insurance money, without any fuss.

Why can’t the government set up a similar system for the victims of fatal bus accidents?

S. M. Anwar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2016