ABBOTTABAD: A recent accident on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in which a dumper crushed a group of schoolchildren has once again laid bare the systemic failures of the traffic management, where rampant negligence, alleged corruption, and revenue-driven policing continue to overshadow public safety.
Three students, including two sisters, were killed and four others from the same family were injured in the incident. The plight of the bereaved families has once again raised questions about Abbottabad’s traffic management, particularly the negligence by allowing dumpers to ply during restricted hours, the unfulfilled and longstanding demand for road expansion, and the repeated yet unfulfilled promises made by successive governments.
Despite a ban on the entry of heavy vehicles into the limits of Abbottabad city during school hours, trucks and dumpers continue to enter city limits with impunity. Residents alleged this was possible only through collusion with officials, turning Abbottabad’s roads into death traps.
Overloaded vehicles, often carrying nearly double the legal weight, were a common sight, worsening road conditions and increasing fatal accidents. It is alleged that the transporters bribe the police to avoid motorway weigh stations, diverting dangerously overloaded trucks onto the KKH and main road.
Locals argued that traffic police, instead of regulating traffic, remained fixated on generating revenue through fines. Wardens are allegedly assigned monthly challan targets, with the proceeds distributed internally.
Sources estimated that around Rs120 million per year was generated through ticketing, much of it collected in cash outside official channels. Unlike motorways that have permanent weigh stations and strictly bar overloaded vehicles, the KKH lacks such facilities, making it a preferred route for overloaded trucks and dumpers. Although axle-load limits technically apply, enforcement has historically been weak, leading to severe road damage.
In 2021, Hazara DIG Mirwais Niaz banned the entry of overloaded trucks from Haripur to Kohistan to stop heavy vehicles from bypassing motorway tolls, with violators facing truck seizure, license cancellation, and even imprisonment.
Friday’s tragedy sparked protests, with grieving relatives accusing traffic police of negligence. “Wardens are more focused on challans and their share in them than on saving our children’s lives,” one protester said.
Malik Saeed Akhtar Advocate claimed that traffic chaos was not just due to careless drivers but also the lack of active enforcement. He asked the police to prioritize managing traffic and ensuring rules are followed instead of collecting fines only.
Published in The News on September 09, 2025.
