KARACHI: Plan ready to ease traffic congestion in Saddar
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, Dec 3: For the first time in several decades, the City authorities have come out with firm determination to overcome the enigma of traffic congestion that has made miserable the lives of Karachiites passing through Saddar — one of the largest commercial area of the city.
The Karachi Mass Transit Programme (KMTP) has not only pin- pointed all the minor and major factors which have turned the heart of the city an area overcrowded throughout the day by commuters and pedestrians, but also suggested ways and means to provide a permanent relief to each and every affected individual — pedestrian, shopper, trader, commuter, passerby, transporter, worker, resident and, of course, the concerned member of law enforcement agencies.
Concentrating mainly on reducing the uncontrolled load of commuters on specific arteries, as well as removal of encroachments and perfect parking facilities, in Saddar Town, a committee of the KMTP has prepared a comprehensive plan to combat the congestion. The plan, presented to City Nazim Naimatullah Khan very recently, drew much appreciation from the Nazim and the concerned authorities when discussed at a meeting a week ago. The City Nazim has decided to implement it immediately after being finalized in the next meeting to be held after Eid holidays.
The committee comprised of the Executive District Officer KMTP, Malik Zaheerul Islam, DIG Traffic, Saud Mirza and the Army Supporting Team’s Col Mohammad Azam.
Malik Zaheer, while giving a presentation to the City Nazim, said that the plan would cover a three-square-kilometre area of Saddar which has a road network of 37 kilometres with 48 intersections.
OVERVIEW: According to the survey, conducted before drawing up the plan, more or less 350,000 vehicles enter into Saddar area during 15 hours a day. Among them 42 per cent appeared to be cars, 12 per cent buses/minibuses, 26 per cent motorcycles, 16 per cent rickshaws, two per cent trucks and as many other vehicles. An average of 25,000 cars are parked for a short term during this time period.
As for the public transport, the survey shows that 17 routes of buses, 19 of minibuses, two of coaches and two of KPTS pass through Saddar. It shows that five routes of buses, four of minibuses and six of KPTS terminate at different stops in Saddar. The survey has found that only 2,283 public transport vehicles have been granted route permits and they either pass through or culminate at Saddar.
There have been 18 schools and colleges, 340 motor vehicle repair shops on roads and 32 similar shops off-roads. As many as 70,000 pedestrian cross the road near Empress Market and another 24,000 near Capri Cinema every hour.
A total of 25 commercial plazas are located in Saddar and 18 of them are misusing the parking space.
The surveyors counted 1,941 patharas, 3,249 pushcarts, 1,686 table stalls, 258 cabins, 51 sugarcane-juice machines, 432 garages and 231 semi-permanent stalls within the Saddar area. Most of these encroachments are visible along Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road, Sharae-i-Iraq, Dr Dawood Pota Road, Raja Ghazanfar Ali Road and Abdullah Haroon Road.
FACTORS & REMEDY: The committee has pointed out that the number of the extra vehicles — buses, minibuses and coaches — running without a route permit in the area is more than double as against those having a route permit. These illegal public transport means are a major contributor to the noise and air pollution besides traffic congestion and inconvenience to the public.
It pointed out that the Karachi Building Control Authority was contacted to press the managements of certain commercial plazas to restore/improve the parking space within the vicinity of their respective buildings so as to overcome the parking problems. The committee has also suggested streamlining of the charged parking system under a parking-friendly policy besides construction of multi-storeyed parking lots, establishment of local bus terminuses and pedestrian mall in Saddar.
A very grave problem is the parking of a heavy number of vehicles near schools, including Karachi Grammar School, BVS, etc., which disturbs traffic flow for more than two to three hours during the afternoon time. It has suggested that if the parking space is provided near at least six educational institutions — St Joseph’s Girls School, St Joseph’s Girls College, Karachi Grammar School, KGS Nursery Cathedral School, Mama Parsi High School and BVS Parsi High School — the traffic congestions can be controlled to a great extent.
The committee identified encroachments, illegal bus stops at places other than designated stops, entry of unauthorized minibuses/buses and irregular parking on carriageways and near schools as rout-causes of the traffic mess and public congestion. Unsuccessful enforcement of rules and regulations is yet another factor which adds to the misery, it said.
The committee has put forward many more recommendations which should be implemented on short, medium and long-term basis. It has proposed removal of encroachments from Empress Market, Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, Abdullah Haroon Road, Dr Dawood Pota Road and Sharae-i-Iraq in phases.
It also recommended allocation of an area as “hawkers’ zone” and identified plot no.71 and 72 on Sir Sultan Agha Khan- III Road, an area behind Empress Market, plot no.123 near Students Biryani Restaurant, plot no.126 and 127 on Sagheer Shaheed Road, plot no.117, 117/1, 177/2, 117/3 (old KTC depot) for the purpose.
Talks with the Cantonment Board were held in this respect and a positive response was received from them, the City Nazim was told by the committee at the meeting.
The Nazim was advised that the a procedure should be adopted to register the hawkers to avoid any further encroachments in future. The committee recommended formation of a vigilance squad to control encroachments and illegal entry of minibuses/buses.
It suggested that special attention should be paid by the traffic police at the intersection of Dawood Pota Road and Preedy Street, at the corner of Mansfield and Preedy streets as well as on Sharea-i-Iraq, where the buses and minibuses should not be allowed to pause at place other than the designated stops. This, it added, would certainly help ease the traffic flow. The rationalization of routes in Saddar area was also required, it said.
The committee proposed allocation of a pedestrian mall in Saddar. The potential site was identified as Raja Ghazanfer Ali Road at the location from the Preedy Street to Sharea-i-Iraq — a 550 feet long and 50 feet wide area — was proposed to be declared as pedestrian mall in the first phase as the pedestrian activity was very high in this area.
The committee also recommended building of the missing link of Preedy Street Extension, which would run from Saddar Dawakhana to Sharae-i-Quaideen via Lines Area.
