May 19, 2005

It has now become a regular feature at rush hour — and a few times in between — at every intersection from the snarling vortex of the Keamari bridge to the shanty townships of the northern part of the city.

The town planner refers to them as traffic jams. But they are much more than the occasional traffic jams one comes across in civilized countries like Britain when motorists head for the coast on the Easter holidays and helicopters flutter overhead monitoring the flow.

In Karachi, what at times starts off as a docile four-lane line-up in a thoroughfare meant for two lanes, frequently descends to a crawl and ends in a seething orgy of terpsichorean self-expression run riot.

There are no accurate statistics to show just how much time and petrol are wasted in the traffic jams and the effect they have on the mental and physical health of the commuters, who have to often inch their way forward while inhaling a lungful of carbon monoxide.

Fortunately statistics do exist on the assortment of vehicles that ply the streets of the metropolis and can be found in Arif Hasan’s excellent treatise entitled Understanding Karachi, planning and reform for the future. Three years ago Karachi had 14,854 intra-city buses and 512 inter-city buses. There were also 13,613 taxis and 23,337 motor rickshaws. Privately owned cars and vans have not been included.

According to figures released by the Regional Transport Authority, 72 per cent of all commuters using buses travelled by Karachi’s 8,773 minibuses. Of these buses, 3,800 were functioning without route permits. This was because a ban was placed on them in 1986 after a college girl had been run over by a minibus, provoking wide scale student riots and violence.

The government made a feeble attempt to replace the minibuses with larger buses. But this was not possible because of the peculiar system by which minibuses are purchased.

These yellow devils, as they are often referred to, are owned by individuals and not companies. The actual price is around a million rupees. Most of the buyers are people belonging to the NWFP or the northern reaches of Punjab. These entrepreneurs have little or no access to the banks and so have to turn to money lenders, who hail from the same area as they do.

During the last 17 years around 20 money lenders have financed 6,350 buses at an approximate sum of Rs6 billion. The loan is returned in monthly installments over a period of three or four years. If the poor fellow defaults on payments, the bus is forcibly taken away and all previous payments are forfeited which is a bit excessive.

However, as long as he is training for the Grand Prix on the thoroughfares, killing stray dogs, running over schoolgirls and knocking down motorcyclists, he has to pay Rs3,000 to the police and other agencies as a bribe for using the roads, erecting repair workshops and for the privilege of continuing to violate traffic rules and regulations with impunity.

What is most unfortunate is the fact that the people who could have made a difference over the years appear to be totally disinterested. Whenever the question of insufficient transport comes up, the town nazim announces, almost with a touch of serendipity, that another 20 or 30 buses were being added to the ones already plying the overcrowded streets. And this was being done to relieve the pressure.

It has probably not occurred to the nazim, or any of the other officials who are paid to ease the problems of the denizens, that the regular addition of buses and vans are not the solution but rather the cause of the problem.

The issue is being further compounded by the thousands of vehicles being proudly churned out every year by local automobile manufacturing groups — in the absence of an enforceable obsolescence policy, which would ensure that vehicles of a certain model are taken off the streets.

It could be argued, with justification, that such a policy should it ever be implemented, would cause considerable hardship to members of the lower income groups who might not be in a position to replace their 20-year old jalopies with the shiny, bright new models that wink at them from the showrooms.

Unfortunately, there is no other solution unless the president, prime minister, governor, chief minister and the lesser minions are really serious about resurrecting and improving the circular railway.

What is truly astonishing is that none of the city’s forefathers, including Karachi’s finest and most dedicated mayor Sohrab Katrak, had the foresight to start an underground railway stretching from Merewether Tower to Empress Market, which could have been later extended to Nazimabad, SITE and Korangi.

With the population of the city rising at five per cent per annum, a tube could have taken care of at least half the white and blue collar workers that spend the better part of two hours a day commuting in airless overcrowded sardine cans between home and place of work, with at least 30 minutes stuck in traffic jams.

Of course, the champions of the surface transport option will tell you building an underground just can’t be done, the subsoil is too soft and there is too much underground water. To these doubting Thomases I strongly recommend they should speak to the leading town planner, Arif Hasan, who will tell them the objections are a lot of nonsense.

There are a number of reasons why traffic jams occur in this blighted city. For purposes of classification they could be divided into five broad categories.

The ratio is all wrong

There are just not enough roads to accommodate the many cars, buses, trucks, vans, camel and donkey carts, and the ones that do exist are far too narrow.

VIP movements

This is probably the most potent cause of traffic jams and is entirely deliberate and pre-planned. Parents of school going children, among others, keep their fingers crossed and hope that the president and the prime minister don't visit the city more than once in two years. Because when they do, the traffic chaos that ensues becomes a public nightmare.

Vehicular breakdowns

This is a fairly common cause for disruption. Occasionally a car stuck in the middle of a traffic channel refuses to budge when the light changes. This invariably results in the production of a chorus of bleats which range from the pressure horns of the minibus drivers to the more modest but nevertheless shrill noise of the 10 horse power utility car.

As no provision exists for pushing the stalled vehicle to the side of the road, motorists who finally manage to negotiate a turn and place themselves into another lane, invariably make the unpleasant discovery that the traffic light has changed at least twice before they accomplish their mission.

Selected surgery

Every once in a while the motorist comes across a depression or a fairly broad incision in a road, which forces him to slow down and hopes that the vehicle that is locking horns with his rear bumper has the good sense to do the same. These depressions are caused by workmen who dig up portions of thoroughfares to lay conduits or telephone wires or to repair underground sewage pipes.

Unnecessary repairs

Motorists frequently come across roads which in their opinion should have been good for at least another ten years, torn up and ripped open, with the smell of hot tar in the air.

Traffic is then diverted to a street which is heavily pock marked, has lacerations and sores on its edges, a gaping manhole in the centre and traffic lights which don't function properly.

Could a stronger case be made for an underground railway? If Kolkatta and Delhi have done it, why can't Karachi?

‘In perpetual hurry’

ASI Sohrab Khan of Malir Traffic Section holds two phenomena responsible for traffic jams: the phenomenal rise in the number of vehicles (especially small ones), thanks to the leasing companies, and to what he calls “the haste syndrome”.

Khan says, “The people of Karachi seem to be in a perpetual hurry. Most Karachiites go to bed late at night, wake up late in the morning, and rush to their workplaces at breakneck speed even if this means violating traffic rules. Such violations usually result in traffic jams during peak hours. The young ones, especially those on motorcycles, are more prone to committing violations, and do not conform to their lanes.”

As for big vehicles, another officer, S.I. Masood Jaffery says those driving Pajeros consider themselves above law, and break it with impunity. He also regards buses and minibuses as a major source of traffic jams

Adds SI Sohrab: “They don’t follow the lane marked for public buses and usually run on the overtaking lane. We charge them under section 19 of traffic rules but we cannot man every nook and cranny, so they take advantage of this.

“Under the law, buses can pick and drop passengers only at established bus stops. They rarely do this. The public is also responsible for this, as they force the drivers to stop at their convenience.”

Referring to the model zone (Sharea Faisal, as declared by DIG traffic) ASI Soharb says, “It is efficiently working, since it is properly manned by traffic police”. According to him changes must be made in road designs. He declares overheads and underpasses as the best solution for avoiding traffic jams. — Tahir Zaman

Sweat, shoves and verbal abuse

Mega cities globally possess elaborate public transport networks. These include bus, train and tram services. In most cases, the vehicles involved are in good condition and the drivers and conductors well-mannered. This, alas, is not so in the megapolis of Karachi.

I have been travelling in buses for approximately a decade and a half. The condition of the buses has always been nauseating, to say the least. In most cases the seats play a major role. Either their filthy covers are torn or they are not properly fixed in the seat frames. Their being torn is just unappealing. The former being unhygienic, the latter causes real inconvenience as the drivers usually drive furiously past potholes and speed breakers. The passengers jump up and down like yoyos landing on the space between the seats. A sore situation indeed!

Almost all of the buses, mini buses and coaches carry passengers far more than their seating capacity. This is made possible by stuffing people in the interior as much as possible, similar to stacking groceries or transporting animals. On numerous routes passengers are even seen huddled together on the rooftops of these buses.

The behaviour of the conductors and drivers is simply despicable towards women passengers. Most of the drivers are quite perverted as they view the females sitting across the engine hatch and just behind their seat through the dozen or so strategically placed rear view mirrors .

The vehicle is rarely ever stopped completely to allow women, children and the elderly to get down or on safely. The young adult to middle aged men are able to jump onto the buses, but they, too, sometimes injure themselves and suffer from bruises and broken bones.

The conductors appear to be in a perpetual forgetful state of mind as they keep asking everyone endlessly for the fare. Now and then, this leads to skirmishes between the conductors and those being transported. — Akhtar Naveed Syed

The government’s perspective

The executive district officer transport, Dr Muhammed Soomro, says there are multiple reasons for the present traffic situation in the city, the major being the population explosion.

“Motorized transport has increased in the city in the last two decades faster than anything else. On the other hand, the overall capacity of transportation has not increased very much. Recently, the government has undertaken projects like the Lyari Expressway and Northern Bypass, which would help in decongesting some of the roads,” says Dr Soomro.

He added that there was a need to develop a mass transit system in Karachi. Lack of parking is another factor aggravating the traffic situation. Since there are no parking facilities available, roadside parking occurs. The parked vehicles block the roads, more so with double parking. Water and sewage leakages also create traffic congestion as the roads become potholed.

Elaborating his point, Dr Somroo said, “The existing traffic signal system must be evolved to a more efficient controlling system. We have installed modern traffic controllers at 80 locations, but they have to be linked to a central control. Software needs to be installed so that the control of the traffic is on a real time basis.”

He added that the biggest problem was lack of a transportation master plan for the city, as it would provide a mechanism to identify the improvement according to priority. — Tahir Siddiqui

The backseat sufferer

If you want to have a taste of hell on a small scale, let your car be trapped in a traffic jam on one of the roads in Karachi. And to make matters worse, get a driver like Ghaffar.

The dust, the fumes, the boiling temperature, the angry stares of other drivers and the constant honking — all put together cannot unruffle Ghaffar when he is driving in normal traffic. He is a very slow and cautious driver (to put it mildly). His driving skills can be gauged by the speed at which he drives a car on a road on a clear Sunday: 40 miles per hour. And Ghaffar insists on going by the book: no abrupt changing of lanes, no breaking of red lights.

When we are stuck in a traffic jam — which is very often — he calmly reclines back in his seat, switches off the engine and waits patiently. He has the capacity to wait endless hours for the roads to clear.

I dread traffic jams when I have to sit and wait under the mid-day sun for an extended period of time. The dust and fume are unbearable, and on top of it the stench of fish carried by the trucks is nauseating. And it becomes more tragic in my case because I can’t use the AC due to my asthmatic allergy.

I feel more comfortable when sitting with my husband who meticulously weaves his way through mild to moderate traffic jams. With a green number plate on the car, he does not have to fear the traffic cops, but he follows traffic regulations religiously and feels extremely annoyed when people don’t observe them. Unlike Ghaffar, he has little patience. When we are in a traffic jam, he starts his tirade against the decadence in the society at large, lack of civic planning, indifferent attitude of the concerned authorities, callous attitude of the public and etc, etc,.

After seven hours of grinding work at the office, I am too tired to interrupt, so he keeps up his emotional speech, punctuated by proverbs in Punjabi. Being rich in vocabulary, my husband, like most men, manages to express his feelings more eloquently in that language, than in Urdu or English.

What do you suppose is the first thing I do when I finally find myself in the safety of my home? I sink down on a sofa with a glass of ice cold water and reach out for a handful of aspirins. — Moniza Inam

Road rage

Ever gone through a road rage? Well if you’re a driver you must have; and if you happen to be a woman driver, even more so.

Everyday I commute to my work place through one of the most congested roads of Karachi, and by the time I reach the office I am ready to retire for the day. I have the misfortune of driving my big AC-less vehicle myself and nearly all my salary goes into filling the tank (Editor please note this). Getting stuck in regular traffic jams becomes an added bonus for the petrol pump owners.

The driving day usually starts with a chirp, which turns into a little sigh when a car is parked in the middle of the road; a few hundred yards ahead it turns into a definite frown when a taxi or rickshaw blocks the way while cruising for clients; and a definite snarl when a bus decides to stop every few moments before you. Then just a little further ahead you are engulfed in a little traffic jam because of everyone’s impatience. By now you are sweating, seething, drained, in a hurry and ready to kill. This ladies and gentlemen is known as road rage.

I have forgotten to mention the frills on the side — catcalls, lecherous stares and disdainful looks that a woman driver receives as a bonus for being independent. Not to mention the caring souls who escort you to your homes.

Having had enough one day I decided to chase one Romeo who had become rather obnoxious. You bet he got the shock of his life when he saw a mad woman speeding after him on M.A.Jinnah Road. The traffic police continued to stand on the side ignoring all this.

So what is the future of this nation that takes to the roads every day, with traffic increasing by the minute and traffic jams a norm? Horrible, or possibly worse, I’m afraid to say, if nothing is done soon. —Khursheed Hyder

The Clifton doublecross

In a nation famous for publishing appeals in newspapers, the entreat which appeared in this newspaper on the Clifton underpass, was a little curious to say the least.

It was addressed to a number of functionaries who, according to the Clifton and Defence Traders Welfare Association, had given the green signal for the permanent desecration of Schon Circle.

I fail to see what is so magnificent about this project. All major cities have over and underpasses. The difference is that in the West and Japan the people who orchestrate the schemes usually invite the views of the public before the first drill hits the rock. They give ample notice and ensure that adequate alternative arrangements are made for commuters.

Currently a motorist who wants to travel from Runnymede to Clifton Bridge has three options:

The first is the road that hugs the open drain clogged with weeds and other plants, which exudes a fragrance not unlike that of hydrogen sulphide. This road enters Khayaban-e-Jami and eventually winds its way to a lane that runs parallel to Clifton Road.

The second is the service lane in front of the Mideast Hospital, which is usually clogged with vendors selling fruit. This also ends up at Khayaban-e-Jami and snakes its way up a road parallel to Clifton Road.

And the third is Gizri, which is now competing with Garden Road, NIPA Chowrangi and Korangi for the title of ‘The road with the worst traffic jams’.

And as the motorist drives through the slush, wondering what he had done to deserve this affront to his dignity, he discovers that the cuts in the road that he used to use in days of yore, had now been blocked by the police because they were causing traffic jams.

Once the underpass is ready everybody will be greatly relieved, even though the motorist travelling from Old Clifton to the bridge and back again won’t be able to turn right. He will have to adopt what is generally referred to as tunnel vision.

The authors of the appeal said it would take another four months to complete the project. They had better make sure that the date is not extended; otherwise they will face the wrath of an increasingly angry public. — A.M.

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