KARACHI, Oct 10: Absence of traffic signals at two busy traffic intersections under Karimabad Flyover and the placement of heavy boulders on one track of the under-construction portion of University Road from Edhi Centre to New Town have made the motorists on both roads vulnerable to accidents.
In the absence of traffic signals at Liaquatabad No 10 and Karimabad traffic intersections vehicular traffic approaching from all the four directions often converge in the middle of intersections and remain stuck up. A couple of traffic cops deployed at the intersections hardly bother to streamline the flow of traffic as most of the time they seem busy checking the documents of minibuses, coaches and motorcycles.
Though the government hired the services of volunteers and city government employees to help cops ensure smooth flow of traffic during Ramazan, most of the policemen seem checking the documents of vehicles and filling their pockets before Eid instead of regulating the traffic flow.
Besides, one side of the University Road is being used for a two-way traffic owing to inordinate delay in completion of work on the other side from Edhi Centre to New Town. Heavy boulders have been placed haphazardly on the middle track to segregate the two-way traffic. However, in the absence of street lights they remain invisible at night and pose serious threat to the lives of commuters, particularly motorcyclists.
“One is unable to understand why the officials concerned have not bothered to place such heavy boulders after painting them with fluorescent colours so that they could be visible at night,” remarked a motorist who had got his vehicle damaged after hitting one such heavy boulder while overtaking a minibus near old Sabzi Mandi.
Adding to the miseries of commuters are the sharp edges of the road near New Town and Jail Chowrangi traffic intersections. The portions of the road have been lying in dilapidated conditions for weeks, causing inconvenience to motorists.
Rashid Minhas Road is no exception when it comes to traffic mess. The road has been dug up for the construction of Askari Flyover, a part of signal-free Corridor-II. Flood lights being used for the ongoing digging and construction work face motorists which can result in fatal accident.
