MUZAFFARGARH, June 15: The absence of a railway level crossing at the Budh Railway Station is creating problems for the people of Budh, Basira and Nawan villages because they have to drive their vehicles a long way to cross the railway line to reach villages on the other side.

The locals told Dawn that they had to go to Muzaffargarh first, which is 15 kilometres from Budh Station, to cross the line through a railway crossing. They said they could only cross the line on foot, but that was also dangerous. They said that a railway crossing at the Budh Station would benefit nearly 20,000 people of nearby villages.

Tractor driver Zahoor Hussain said the railway police fined him Rs 500 last week when he illegally crossed the line near his village instead of going to Muzaffargarh to cross through the railway crossing.

The absence of a railway crossing at the Budh Station has resulted in many accidents in the past. In January, a 30-year-old woman was crushed by a train while crossing the line near her village.