Lahore [Pakistan] August 24 : Train drivers are expressing their strong dissatisfaction over being held accountable for recent derailments and accidents, and they have warned of launching a nationwide strike if Pakistan Railways (PR) continues to utilise 'defective' wagons, Dawn reported.
"We are quite concerned that the drivers are being blamed for the derailments and accidents, even though such unfortunate incidents occur due to wagons and coaches lacking brakes," stated PR Train Drivers Association (Multan) President Karim Bakhsh, as reported by Dawn.
"They (the officials) are well aware that derailments result from the condition of the rolling stock. So why are they making our drivers the scapegoats for this?" he questioned.
Following incidents involving trains 116-Down and 14-Down, the PR administration instructed that only coaches and wagons with sufficient and tested braking power should be used for all passenger and freight trains. Under directives from the Railways minister, they also mandated that only rolling stock certified by the mechanical department with verified braking efficiency should be utilised. Additionally, they instructed relevant officers to ensure the brake power of all coaches and wagons is checked before departure, as reported by Dawn.
A meeting was convened for train drivers, during which attendees voiced serious concerns regarding the conduct of the railways' authorities.
They argued that since the trains are still being operated with inoperative wagons, blaming drivers for overshooting is entirely unjustifiable. They also highlighted issues with defective safety devices and sensors installed in the locomotives. "When the safety devices, coaches, and wagons do not function correctly, what can one expect from the driver?" posed Train Drivers Association (Lahore) President Irfan Iqbal. He mentioned that the association would observe how the relevant officers respond in the upcoming days. "Should they fail to fully adhere to the instructions, we will convene a meeting to determine our next steps," he cautioned, as reported by Dawn.