KARACHI: Measures to reduce traffic congestion at intersections
KARACHI, Nov 1: The District Coordination Officer, Karachi, Shafiqur Rahman Paracha, held a meeting with the transport and communication department of the city government on reduction of traffic congestion at major road intersections and roundabouts in the city, on Thursday.
The Executive District Officer of the department, Malik Zaheerul Islam, informed the DCO of different proposals prepared by the department to reduce traffic congestion at four major roundabouts in the city. He said the proposals were based on studies conducted by the department.
Speaking at the meeting, the DCO emphasized on the need for short-term projects to improve traffic flow in the city, and asked the department to prepare proposals for such projects which would be presented to the city Nazim for final approval. However, long-term planning was also necessary for the future development of the city, he added.
The EDO told the meeting that there was an urgent need for the improvement of Guru Mandir, Bacha Khan Chowk, Nagan Chowrangi and Old Numaish roundabouts as these were the most busy roundabouts in Karachi.
He explained the causes of traffic problems at different roundabouts, saying that the main cause of heavy traffic congestion at the Guru Mandir roundabout was heavy flow of traffic from Business Recorder Road, M. A. Jinnah Road, Jahangir Road, Jamshed
Road and Bahadur Yar Jung Road to this roundabout. Approximately 350,000 vehicles plied in 16 hours at the Guru Mandir roundabout.
This figure is about 90,000 vehicle for Bacha Khan Chowk situated at the intersection of Manghopir road, Khayaban-i-Chishti and Sharea Orangi.
This is a thickly populated area, but about 40 per cent of the total traffic plying through Bacha Khan Chowk are commercial vehicles, including wagons, rickshaws, buses, trucks and trailers.
Malik Zaheer informed the DCO that the transport and communication department had prepared a plan to streamline the flow of traffic at this roundabout.
He said, according to the plan, traffic signals would be installed there and roads would be remodelled as per international standards at other intersections of roads in place of the Bacha Khan Chowk roundabout.
About Nagan Chowrangi, the EDO said four roads, Chaudhri Fazal Elahi Road, Behzad Lucknawi Road, Sharea Zahid Husain and Sharea Waliullah meet here, and traffic from North Karachi, Surjani Town and New Karachi moved through Nagan Chowrangi. About 153,000 vehicles plied in 16 hours at this roundabout.
The EDO gave details of the plans prepared by the department to reduce traffic congestion at this point, which were installation of traffic signals and construction of a flyover.
A similar proposal has been presented for the Old Numaish roundabout: to complete the construction of this roundabout, install a traffic signal to reduce traffic congestion as five roads meets here, namely, M. A. Jinnah Road, Sharea Quaideen, Burton Road, Nizami Road, and streets coming from Nishter Park.—PPI
