KARACHI, Oct 7: The Gurumandir traffic improvement plan which includes installation of traffic signals in place of both the huge roundabouts will begin shortly to ease traffic congestion in the area.

According to sources, the plan also envisages construction of a one-way couplet around the KMC meat market which would be seven lanes wide with two traffic signal modes.

The city government’s transport and communication department has already completed its exercise aimed at improving the flow of traffic all around both the roundabouts of Gurumandir and the plan would be executed without any further loss of time, source said, adding that the plan also envisages the creation of a new 70-feet, six-lane wide link road behind the KMC meat market, situated at one side of the roundabout, and complete redesigning of the intersections.

They expressed optimism that with the completion of the project, the flow of traffic would considerably improve in only one direction around the KMC market as against the present complex interchange around two roundabouts which often results in choking of traffic due to various diversions, particularly during peak hours.

The plan, the sources added, was the need of the hour because a heavy volume of traffic (over 340,000 vehicles) passes through Gurumandir’s roundabouts every 24 hours, causing frequent traffic jams almost throughout the day, in general, and during peak hours, in particular.

The vehicles which ply through the roundabouts include 23,334 buses/trucks, minibuses-Mazda (about 17,000), rickshaws (over 36,000), motorcycles (100,000), car/Suzuki/jeeps (126,232), Ford wagons (over 7,000), trailers (over 100) and cycles (more than 3,000).

Such a huge number of vehicles not only use Gurumandir but also other roads which include M.A. Jinnah Road, Business Recorder Road, Jehangir Road and Jamshed Road.

The sources said that though the plan was approved in Feb 1999, by the then Sindh governor and was scheduled to start from mid-1999, it could not be initiated earlier as the link road known as K.B. Naraindas Road was heavily encroached upon.

But since these shops, the main hindrance in launching the plan, have been demolished from the link road, the city government now plans the expansion of the road as it is a major component of Gurumandir’s traffic improvement plan.