KARACHI, June 20: Traffic jams of long durations have become a routine at the Hassan Square traffic intersection mainly due to the habit of drivers of lifting and dropping passengers at the turnings of the busy intersection where work on a flyover is being carried out round the clock.

A large number of vehicles, moving either towards the Stadium Road and the Sir Shah Suleman Road, or NIPA and Sabzi Mandi on the University Road can be seen stuck on either side of the said intersection.

Another stumbling block responsible for creating hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic from Sir Shah Suleman Road to NIPA traffic intersection are the roadside encroachments around Hassan Square apartment building and an illegally built traffic police kiosk on the pavement that separates the main University Road from its service road.

The presence of unauthorised rickshaws and taxis also gives rise to chaotic conditions around the busy traffic intersection.

Shopkeepers and people residing in the vicinity say that motorists coming from Gharibabad and taking a left turn from the Hassan Square intersection for NIPA would have ample space if the roads are properly segregated for vehicular traffic moving straight and for those taking a left turn; and also if the unauthorised traffic police kiosk and other roadside encroachments are removed.

One would be surprised to know that at a time when work on the Hassan Square flyover is on and traffic proceeding in all four directions remains stuck up for long durations, traffic policemen are not taking any measures against drivers of public transport, especially of the buses, coaches and minibuses, who are in the habit of lifting and dropping passengers either at the turnings of the intersection or in the middle of the road.It is observed that whenever a bus, coach or a minibus applies brakes to lift or drop passengers at the turnings of the intersection, the vehicular traffic following it either comes to a halt or becomes dead slow.