19 February 2004	Thursday	27 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Feb 18: Lack of proper planning and limited resources are the main reasons for the severe traffic jams, a growing problem in Karachi, which demands a comprehensive plan to control.

Karachi's traffic problem has become a crisis situation which is usually further aggravated after heavy rain and and other emergency situations. Transport department officials pointed out different flaws in policies aimed at improving traffic system, but which subsequently result in traffic congestion in city.

They said that expansion of Karachi in terms of population, construction and industrialisation is remarkable and CDGK is trying their level best to facilitate Karachiites, but without proper planning and within limited resources, it is very difficult to facilitate this expansion effectively.

Referring to traffic problems, they said, "Number of vehicles plying are more than the capacity of existing roads, which often results in the worst traffic jams.''

They stressed that authority should permit as many vehicles as can easily use the existing roads of Karachi and for this it is necessary to control immigrants first.

Citing absence of an effective system of traffic control they added that another major problem was that most of the public transport owners are police personnel who are responsible for traffic control and recommended that public transport licence should not be issued to any law enforcing agency member.

They also suggested repairing the damaged roads at night as repairing work on major roads during day hampers smooth flow of traffic and recommended that Works and Services Department should be assigned on each main road to repair damaged roads at night. " No permission should be granted to processions and a special area should be marked for the purpose," they concluded. - PPI