CHITRAL: The people here have expressed concern over the frequent accidents on the road between Lowari tunnel and Ashrait village due to its ‘faulty’ design.

A civil engineer in a government department requesting not to be named said the faulty design of the road with improper alignment was the major factor behind the accidents.

He said while negotiating the steep drivers lost control over vehicles after they applied brakes as it caused friction and the vehicles skidded and failed to regain the momentum.

He said almost all the accidents occurred to the ascending vehicles due to brake failure. He said in more than 90 per cent of accidents, the drivers were strangers, who were not aware of the topography of the area.

Lower Chitral district police officer Sonia Shamroze Khan said special measures were being taken to educate the drivers about the technical details pertaining to driving while ascending and descending the road.

She said tourist vehicles would be sent onwards from the Lowari tunnel in convoys escorted by police to prevent them from indulging in over-speeding on the road, which often resulted in accidents.

She said uneven surface of the road was another major factor causing accidents.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2021