September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

KARACHI, Sept 3: Motorists and commuters endured the worst-ever traffic jams on almost all major thoroughfares of the city on Monday when mercury touched 35 degrees centigrade with 65 per cent humidity.

Unlike the previous traffic jams which normally occurred during evening peak hours, Monday’s traffic snarls-up started taking place in the forenoon and continued till late night.

Sharea Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, Shahrah-i-Iraq, Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, Soldier Bazaar, Nishtar Road, Manghopir Road, Pak Colony, Sir Aga Khan-III Road, Garden Road, Baldia Road, Banaras, University Road, a portion of Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Shahrah-i-Quaideen and other arteries remained jam-packed with vehicles.

A number of ambulances shifting patients to hospitals remained trapped on the clogged roads. At least three ambulances were seen stranded on Sharea Faisal whose drivers kept on blowing hooters in a bid to rush the patients to hospitals and yet their efforts went in vain. The unprecedented bumper-to-bumper traffic on Sharea Faisal was caused by an unannounced closure of Defence-Korangi Road for laying a 48-inch-dia pipeline.

With the collapse of Shershah bridge, which used to serve as the fastest route for heavy vehicles going to and coming from Hub Chowki and the coastal highway, thousands of vehicles took already overburdened city roads as an alternative. This resulted in traffic chaos on Baldia Road, Banaras, Habib Bank Square, Manghopir Road, Shershah and its adjoining areas. Besides, two main arteries leading to the site of the ill-fated bridge remained closed for undertaking rescue work.

Moreover, the closure of COD Flyover left the commuters with no option but to take U-turn on signal-free Sharea Faisal.

Sufferings to continue

Ordeal of the motorists taking Sharea Faisal route is likely to continue for another 10 to 15 days, as work on a pipeline being laid at Korangi Road is expected to complete in a couple of weeks.