KARACHI: The crippling traffic jams in Saddar and its surrounding areas of the metropolis in peak hours are getting worse with each passing, wasting precious time of commuters and causing smoke pollution.The authorities concerned are reluctant to take result-oriented steps despite recent strict directives issued by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani to Deputy Inspector General Traffic Karachi to take solid measures to streamline vehicular flow but it is irony that there is no respite in this regard.
The MA Jinnah and all its link roads are jammed by traffic in evening hours – from 5:00pm to 8:00pm except Sunday. As a result, thousands of people get stuck up.This all happens due to poor enforcement of traffic rules, lack of result-oriented plans and reckless driving. It is pity that traffic personnel are still seen controlling traffic manually at many places despite having signals on the roads.One of the other reasons of traffic jams in the business areas of the metropolis, Saddar, Urdu Bazaar and Boulton markets is non-existence of flyovers. There is need to establish a long flyover on MA Jinnah Road from Mazar-e-Quaid to Tower to ensure the flow of traffic.
Another reason of traffic jams in these areas is holding of protests and rallies by religious and political parties on MA Jinnah Road besides staging of sit-ins by business communities against Karachi Electric Supply Company and extortionists.The worst traffic jams in the city are also witnessed during rains, as there is no solid plan to take measures in this regard.The overflowing gutters and storm-water drains cause accumulation of water, which results in massive traffic mess. There is need to clean storm-water drains on priority basis so as to provide relief to the citizens from this trouble.
The relevant authorities need to take stern actions against those involved in illegal parking and unlawful bus stops and encroachments.There is also need to establish more flyovers to streamline the flow of ever-increasing number of cars, rickshaws and other vehicles in the metropolis.A shopkeeper at Urdu Bazaar, Shafiq Ahmed, said that the people and shopkeepers of all big markets in Saddar and its surrounding areas are in trouble due to rising traffic jams due to negligence of relevant authorities. He said that it was pity that even ‘little drops of rainwater cause heavy traffic jams’, causing great trouble to the citizens.He added that illegal rickshaw and Suzuki stands have also mushroomed at various locations which were adding to the traffic jams.
“The City District Government Karachi and the Pakistan Railways also need to expedite work on the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project and complete it within stipulated time so as to reduce the traffic jams across the city, while traffic police should to take actions against drivers violating traffic rules,” he added.It may be noted that reckless driving of buses, coaches, trucks and bikes is on the rise in the city, causing deaths of two to three people on daily basis in Karachi the cost of which could not be paid. – Dailytimes
