KARACHI, Aug 11: Traffic jams at recreational places during Eidul Fitr holidays exposed the incapacity of the traffic police of Karachi and ineffectiveness of their arrangements and contingency plans.

During the Eid holidays when Karachiites thronged recreational places, crippling traffic jams were observed at the Zoological Garden, Safari Park, PAF Museum, Maritime Museum, SeaView, Clifton and other recreational places. Thousands of vehicles remained stranded in traffic jams due to lack of proper planning, low deployment and poor professional capacity to handle the traffic flow.

Before Eid several meetings were held and press releases issued indicating that police officers were instructed to handle traffic jams during the pre-Eid shopping season and throughout Eid holidays. But the situation this year was no better than the previous year. The main issue seems to be that plans made by the police are mostly restricted on paper and are not implemented.

The issue of traffic jams is one of the most pressing problems faced by Karachiites; however, local traffic police administration is ill-equipped, poorly trained and unmotivated to resolve this issue.

The traffic police only control and manage traffic-related issues on certain selected roads and localities to facilitate VIP movement. The citizens have to wait for hours stuck in traffic jams with the traffic cops looking least interested, however the same traffic cops ensure that the VIPs reach their destinations swiftly and smoothly.

It is high time that the Karachi traffic police is given sufficient funds and is equipped with the latest technology, besides being given professional training on the pattern of the motorway police and more importantly keep them motivated to serve people and carry out their duties with satisfaction and pride.— PPI