THE transport system in Pakistan is pathetic. It has neither been developed according to rising population nor has it been improved.

Roads in rural, urban and semi-urban areas are  dilapidated after the 2010-11 floods.

According to the transport policy 2011 by the Sindh transport department, Pakistan has a high fatality rate of 19 deaths per 10,000 vehicles. At least 65 per cent of these deaths are pedestrian.

Most of the link roads and main roads, are widely damaged due to lack of maintenance and safety measures. There are no signboards on roads. Many signboards are being used as political advertisements by the ignorant community. Shoulders and medians of roads are mostly not provided; vehicles with improper lights and indicators are not penalised or banned; donkey carts move on main roads without any reflectors which are liable to cause accidents, especially during the night.

In urban areas, almost half of the road is used for parking by vehicles and carts which lead to traffic congestion and air and noise pollution.

All of this causes environmental degradation. Why is the construction of roads all over Sindh always started just a month before the monsoon?

The government and all transportation authorities need to work diligently where the construction of roads is concerned. An excellent transportation system is one of the leading factors in the prosperity of a country.

SANWAL KARIM CHANNA Badin