KARACHI, Sept 25: While the city government has started work on Begum Khursheed Road, from Kala Board to the Saudabad Roundabout, the KESC and the PTCL have still to remove about 97 poles coming in the alignment of the road.

These poles, if not removed, immediately would become a traffic hazard and may cause accidents, said area people.

The area people have already suffered for about two and a half years owing to delayed work on the road.

Moreover, the area people have expressed concern over the deliberate attempt to reduce the width of the road to facilitate some private commercial establishments.

The area people questioned why the width of the road had been reduced at the Kala Board Stop.

They said that as carpeting of the road had started, the authorities may ignore the replacement of the poles and they may have to become the ultimate sufferers.

The town authorities, area people claim, have facilitated private commercial concerns and shopkeepers. They have not taken any action against a plot owner, who raised a three-story building, housing a hotel and a hospital.

Area people said accidents might take place if this “special curve” was not eliminated. They said the road be kept in the alignment of Asif School, Kala Board.

Moreover, traffic jams occur at the entrance of Kala Board where the width of the road be expanded after taking action against those who have occupied land meant for road and a footpath, they said.

A visit to the area revealed that a chiken biryani shop has been established in a bus stop built by the KMC in the past. Here footpath has been eliminated to facilitate the shop owner. Even the drainage pipes which were to run through the footpath have been laid on the road.

Area people regretted that at the Malir Tanki Stop also, encroachments persist on the alignment of the road, and the footpath was also occupied by the shopkeepers and house owners.

They urged the authorities to take notice of the violations by the contractor who has delayed the project for a long time, and has taken the project as a part-time job at the cost of the sufferings of the people.

They urged the Sindh governor, minister for local government, DCO Karachi and other high-ups to visit the site during peak hours in the evening to see for themselves the sufferings of the area people where traffic remains stuck up, resulting in wastage of precious time of the motorists.