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KARACHI, Aug 19: The city fathers on Saturday stressed the need for a better traffic and transport management system as the continuous growth in Karachi’s population and increase in the number of vehicles was resulting in traffic chaos.
This consensus was reached during a debate in the City Council on the prevailing chaotic traffic conditions in the city. Both the treasury and the opposition expressed concern over the current situation and suggested various proposals to bring about a change in the better interest of the people.
The removal of encroachments, a better signalling system, ban on the movement of heavy vehicles in daytime and the enforcement of traffic regulations were some of the suggestions which they considered would ensure smoother traffic flow on major city arteries. Some of the members also proposed that the traffic department be handed over to the city government.
The council meeting was chaired by Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil. Unlike in the past, there were no fireworks in the session.
Lyari gang war
Mehbub-ur-Rehman of the Awam Dost Group drew the attention of the chair towards the deteriorating law and order situation in Lyari where he said the state of affairs had taken a serious turn.
He told the council that more than 600 youths had been killed so far in the gang war and the people were insecure.
Asking why the people of Lyari were being punished, he pointed out that despite the fact that there were four police stations in the locality, the police had failed to check the criminal activities of a few street urchins.
The convenor said she was equally concerned about the prevailing conditions of Lyari and had approached the TPO concerned to come to the house and explain the situation.
She informed the house that the TPO was busy heading an operation against criminals in the locality and had promised to brief the house in the next session.
Mehbub-ur-Rehman said the people of Karachi were perturbed over frequent traffic jams while the residents of Lyari were forced to live in a perpetual state of fear.
Upon this, the convenor reminded the house about the leftover agenda of the previous session pertaining to high prices of essential commodities.
Reciprocating, Mr Asif Siddiqui of the Haq Parast panel submitted an amendment resolution regarding the 10 per cent rise in electricity charges by the KESC.
Thereupon, Saeed Ghani of the Awam Dost drew the attention of the convenor towards the issue of traffic jams, saying that the gravity of the situation could be judged from the fact that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice of the issue.
CDGK’s ‘defective planning’
He said the situation had been aggravated after the recent monsoon rains because of the defective planning of the city government, which had executed development activity without considering the impending rains, adding that most of the roads were dug up without constructing alternative routes and diversions.
Mr Siddiqui did not agree with Saeed Ghani and argued that the issue had already been taken up by the superior court; therefore the house should wait for its ruling.
However, considering the importance of the issue, the convenor allowed the members to debate on the vital matter.
Waqar Hussain of the Haq Parast panel held the illegal bus terminals responsible for creating a chaotic condition and demanded putting a ban on their operation.
Opposition member Abdul Rashid said the delay in the execution of development works was one of the factors contributing towards the traffic mess, saying that despite tall claims, he could not see any repair work anywhere.
Haq Parast member Nadeem Hashmi defended the city government, saying that it had started the patch-up work on the city’s roads.
Mohammad Shamim stressed the need for the construction of service roads while Imran Baghpatti pointed out that there was no traffic management in the city.
Ramzan Awan of the Al-Khidmat group called for introducing a better public transport system in the city, saying that the introduction of green buses was a right decision, but he failed to understand why these were suddenly taken off the roads.
He said nearly 500 cars were registered every month in Karachi, which was also one of the reasons for traffic obstruction.
The debate on traffic jams will continue on Monday when the council meets again.
