80% of Multan’s Student Bikers Without Helmets
M Atif Ismail
Multan: An alarming number of school-going students in Multan are risking their lives daily by riding motorcycles without helmets, a recent survey has revealed, sparking urgent action from local authorities.
According to a divisional survey conducted across 460 public sector schools on the direction of Commissioner Amer Karim Khan, an overwhelming 8,331 out of 10,386 students commuting on motorcycles were found without helmets. Even more concerning, 10,154 students did not possess valid driving licenses.
“This isn’t just data — it’s a crisis in the making,” officials warned, emphasizing the life-threatening risks associated with these findings.
In response, the district administration has launched an immediate and comprehensive plan to tackle the issue. Direct awareness campaigns involving parents will be initiated, highlighting the grave dangers their children face due to the lack of protective gear and proper licensing.
Students have been given one week to procure helmets, while a grace period of three months has been granted to obtain driving licenses. To support this drive, government help desks will be set up to assist students in completing the necessary documentation. After the deadlines expire, strict legal action will be enforced against violators without exception.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by last year’s traffic statistics: Multan alone witnessed 5,753 road accidents, resulting in 526 fatalities. Startlingly, 70.8 percent of those involved in these accidents were motorcyclists not wearing helmets — a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of negligence.
Authorities stressed that wearing a helmet is not an option but a basic necessity for survival on the roads. They urged students to adopt safe commuting habits, warning that daily acts of carelessness not only endanger their lives but also inflict deep pain and loss on their families.
“This is about protecting our young generation and instilling a culture of responsibility, discipline, and lawful conduct,” officials stated. “We are committed to safeguarding lives and steering society toward safer practices.”
The initiative marks a crucial step in changing mindsets, building a safer Multan, and ensuring that students’ journeys to school do not end in tragedy.
The feature report is released by APP on April 27, 2025.
