IF the three major factors contributing to traffic accidents in Karachi are unskilled, unlicensed drivers manoeuvring vehicles, overspeeding, and overtaking without indication, there is some irony in the fact that this is being pointed out by the city’s DIG Traffic.

It is his department, and the traffic policemen are under his command. In fact, it is his job to keep traffic flowing smoothly and safely.

That said, it must be acknowledged that the task is one of nightmarish proportions in a city where 3,200 traffic policemen are deputed to regulate the movement of 3.79 million vehicles — a number that increases each day by over 900 vehicles.

These statistics were shared by the DIG Traffic on Tuesday. Considering that many of the vehicles are piloted with scant concern for either the law or personal and public safety, it is not surprising that the number of road accidents — most of them preventable — in the city is nothing short of frightening: some 30,000 accidents are reported in Karachi each year, and five fatal accidents occur every two days.

Moving beyond this chaotic city, however, there are a handful of areas which show that creating order out of chaos is possible, and that even Pakistan’s risk-taking driving populace can be tamed.

A prime example is the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, which has since its inception seen swift action by law enforcement whenever the rules are violated.

Traffic in Lahore used to be chaotic until the induction of traffic wardens drawn from a more qualified HR pool and paid in commensurate terms; their practice of handing out a fine for every violation, and for refusing to budge even if offered bribes, led to an appreciable improvement.

Islamabad, meanwhile, has been successful in overwhelmingly being able to enforce the law on seatbelts and motorcycle helmets. In terms of traffic management, much hinges upon the traffic police’s desire and ability to enforce the rules without fear or favour.

True, accidents result also from patchy infrastructure such as dim streetlights, dilapidated roads and absent signals, as well as poor policymaking including the endless expansion of some roads.

And while it is equally important that the public be made aware of safety issues, a great deal can also be gained by reforming and empowering traffic police cadres and enforcing the rules.

The push for that can only come from relatively higher bureaucracy in traffic departments, and not the average policeman on the street.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2016