KARACHI, Nov 7: Transporters are responsible for 60 per cent of fatalities in road accidents in Karachi, speakers opined at a seminar on ‘Traffic Safety and Rehnuma Scheme’ held here on Wednesday under the auspices of The Helpline Trust.

The speakers observed that the owners of minibuses pay as big amount as Rs26.5 million as Bhatta to certain authorities every month in exchange of a ‘no objection’ to all their wrong doings.

The DIG (Traffic), Saud Mirza, vehemently criticized, what he termed, ‘the transport mafia’ and claimed that besides other factors, the emergence of the mafia was a stumbling block in improving Karachi’s traffic system.

This mafia, he said, was responsible for the demise of Karachi Circular Railway as well as 60 per cent of fatalities on roads as it supported ‘token system’.

Mr Mirza described water tankers, oil tankers, mini-buses and parking contractors as some of the components of the mafia and observed that in the presence of such a number of parallel systems, one could not expect having an ideal and safe use of roads.

Giving figures, the DIG said that about 600 people die in road accidents in the city every year and this appeared to be one of the major irritants for the citizens. He supplemented his claim by referring to the 633 such fatalities recorded last year.

“It is easy to blame police but there are other factors behind this mayhem, chiefly myopic planning,” he said.

Pin-pointing the other factors, he listed lack of bypasses, encroachments, dilapidated roads, poor geometric design of roads, paucity of parking areas, absence of an alternative traffic system — such as KCR and underground railway — and non-rationalization of routes as contributing elements in the city’s traffic problems.

Mr Mirza complained that during a campaign by the traffic police against rash and negligent drivers, about 3,000 drivers were arrested but nobody came out with appreciation for the police. Rather, he added, the campaign had to be stopped under the pressure of ‘vested interests’.

To a question, the DIG rejected the idea of comparing Karachi with Lahore as ‘a wrong parallel’. In Lahore, he explained, road network was in a much better shape.

“There is no (transport) mafia in Lahore and two private firms have recently helped in disciplining traffic police there,” he said.

He regretted that so many vested interests come out to created hurdles whenever it came to implement traffic laws strictly in Karachi.

Speaking on the occasion, A. H. Maker of The Helpline Trust revealed that there were 3,800 minibuses operating in the city without routs permits whereas the actual strength of this transport means is 8,773.

He claimed that each of the minibus owners used to pay an average of Rs3,000 as monthly Bhatta to certain government agencies.

As such, he added, the illegal gratification being collected from the minibus owners made Rs26.5 million and the purpose of this illegal gratification appeared to be a permission to the transporters to continue their unlawful activities.

He further claimed that the owners of inter-cities buses paid another Rs13 million approximately.

The SSP Zone 1, Rehmat Khan, in his speech stated that like ‘Madagaar 15’, traffic police also planned to launch ‘Rehnuma 919’ this week. The aim of the new service, he added, is improving the traffic system besides redressing people’s grievances immediately.

The chief of Charged Parking Project, CPLC, Shamim Junejo and the Coordinator of Traffic Management Project, Jamil Hussein, also spoke on the occasion.—APP