Ambulance lanes

In a landmark move, Karachi has launched its first dedicated ambulance lane on Mansfield Street in Saddar, one of the city’s busiest commercial hubs. The lane was made available in part thanks to anti-encroachment efforts that cleared the road enough to carve out a dedicated emergency lane. Similar lanes are to be added on other busy streets in an effort to address the tragic and unnecessary harm and loss of life incurred due to ambulances getting stuck in traffic. By ensuring that lifesaving medical care is not delayed by gridlock, the city administration is prioritising what matters most — the protection of human life.

But no matter how good a policy may appear on paper, in practice, it is only as effective as its implementation. A day after the lane’s inauguration, news reports said vehicles were already parked in the dedicated corridor, despite clear road markings. This is the real face of Pakistan, where personal convenience always seems to outweigh the social contract.

The government would be wise to bring in some extreme penalties for road violations. In many countries, people with too many traffic violations end up having to sell their cars because they can’t afford to pay the fines. Here, most people see traffic fines as nothing more than a minor inconvenience. The fact is that driving is a privilege, and if people refuse to follow the rules and can’t afford to pay fines, they are welcome to take public transport.

As for public skepticism, especially on social media, questioning the need for reserved lanes over fixing existing traffic and ambulance maintenance, we need to appreciate gains in one area while still demanding progress in others. Improving a city is almost always an incremental exercise. The focus needs to be on continuous gains in several areas, rather than a single focus on one, or, in the case of some governments, none.