Pedestrians, rickshaws, vans, auto-rickshaws, and other slow-moving vehicles plying on the highways are common in our country. Even shops are found alongside the road.
Since most of the highways in the country are two-lane two-ways, and many of the highways lack a proper shoulder, the speed of a vehicle is restricted by that of the vehicle ahead. If there is a slow-moving vehicle, then all the vehicles behind have to adjust to the former’s speed until they are able to go past it. This slows down overall traffic movement and increases travel time for the faster vehicles.
Oftentimes, drivers of high-speed vehicles have to take evasive action to avoid collision with slow-moving vehicles. And sometimes, they fail to do so and end up colliding with the slow-moving vehicle. This kind of accident is a common occurrence on our highways.
To pass the slow-moving vehicles, high-speed vehicles often have to travel into the lane in the opposite direction. Sometimes, due to visibility issues, drivers are not able to judge the presence of an approaching vehicle coming from the opposite side until they enter the adjacent road. This subsequently leads to head-on collisions.
On top of that, the streetside shops along the highway have encroached inwards and reduced the space in which commuters can move. In addition, drivers have to move at a lower speed to ensure that they do not collide with the pedestrians or other slow-moving vehicles coming to and going out of the bazar areas.
According to the roadway classification system, highways are designed for mobility rather than accessibility. Highways are designed for high-speed vehicles to travel long distances, as opposed to local streets or neighbourhood streets, which are designed for slow-moving vehicles to travel shorter distances.
For this very reason, the movement of slow-moving vehicles is prohibited on the highways and freeways in many countries, as it directly conflicts with their very definition.
In fact, research has demonstrated that due to “differential speed” (the increase in speed difference between high-speed vehicles and slow-moving ones) the potential risk of an accident increases if slow-moving vehicles are allowed on the highways.
To provide an uninterrupted flow of traffic, many countries provide access management on the highways, meaning that vehicles can enter and exit only through certain locations. To ensure that slow-moving vehicles do not disrupt traffic flow, they are usually provided with a “frontage road” or “service road,” which runs parallel to the highway.
Traffic on the highways increases significantly during the Eid holidays. Right now, with Eid holidays over, many are on the road hoping to get back home in one piece. To provide a smooth journey to the homebound travellers, it is essential to prohibit slow-moving vehicles from travelling on the highways and to relocate vendors to areas inside the city.
They should be encouraged to use the local roads. Additionally, buses should be allowed to load and unload passengers only at designated bus stops.
Besides increasing the number of lanes, to increase highway capacity and to improve the traffic flow, in the long run, for movement of slow-moving vehicles, frontage roads should be provided parallel to the highways. Otherwise, highway deaths will continue to be a regular feature in our newspaper headlines.