Pakistan Railways conduct seminar on maximizing safety

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Level crossings, particularly unmanned, have become a major source of concern these days owing to the frequent violation of governing rules and regulations by the road users, causing horrific accidents besides ensuing heavy loss of precious lives, exorbitant and sometimes irreparable damages to rolling stock of Pakistan Railways and staining the image of Railways in the eyes of the public for no fault of its own.

In order to have a sound understanding on the subject, Pakistan Railways, Karachi Division, conducted a seminar on maximizing level crossing safety at its Technical Training Centre in the city. 

The Project Director, Karachi Circular Railways, Ameer Mohammad Daudpota, and the Divisional Engineer-III, Kamran Ahmad Ghori, gave a comprehensive presentation, followed by a panel discussion, comprising of three Deputy Divisional Superintendents, who responded to the queries raised by the audience. 

Classification of level crossings, special class, engineering and traffic level crossing as well as paraphernalia available to the officials at the level crossings were briefed, at length, along with the different safety features of every class of level crossing allowed across railway line. 

The seminar called three basic safety parameters: safety through visibility of level crossing, warning boards and training of manpower, as the bedrock of explicit safety features along the track.

The KCR Project Director underlined the policy guidelines for the existing and new level crossings on the mainline and branch line.

"Currently there are 121 manned level crossings in Karachi division and PR is exigently working on transformation of unmanned to manned level crossings in the existing states of fiscal and human resources,” he shared.

While discussing the frequent accidents at unmanned level crossings the PD KCR commented that those were governed as per West Pakistan Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 and responsibility lied with the road users if any accident happened.

"The July 3 unmanned level crossing accident resulting in death of Sikh pilgrims transpired not only due to sheer negligence of bus driver but unusual adoption of google map for hastily reaching the destination,” he reckoned.

The seminar laid emphasis on frequent inspections and timely overhauling of level crossings in order to deter untoward scenarios in future.

The Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, Karachi, Arshad Salam Khattak, in his concluding note, pointed out that everyone should realize the responsibility as the collective effort would drastically improve the current day position.

He directed the divisions' Public Relations department for initiating a media awareness campaign, in all the media, and approaching PEMRA for obtaining time slot in the electronic media for airing public awareness messages.