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KARACHI, Oct 26: All arrangements made by the Traffic Police to ensure a smooth flow of vehicular traffic on the occasion of Yaum-i-Ali on Wednesday proved ineffective as all main thoroughfares in the city remained clogged with vehicles deluge.
The traffic-controlling system of Traffic Police proved crippled when traffic jams of long duration took place on M. A. Jinnah Road, Shahrah-i-Faisal, Sharah-i-Quaideen, University Road and many other arteries connected with these vital thoroughfares as the traditional processions were taken out to mark the Yaum-i-Ali.
Senior traffic officials and government functionaries were being quoted for several days as saying that all arrangements to avert traffic jams on Wednesday had been made. However, the situation on the roads negated the claims as traffic police officers and personnel deployed across the city seemed helpless amid the some of the worst traffic jams.
“In view of the assurances that were being held out by senior officials, I was sure that the situation would not get out of their control this time. But I was wrong,” said a commuter, Waqas Hasan, who vehicle was stuck up in the traffic jam at Jail Chowrangi.
In fact, the procession itself was not responsible for the traffic jams, but it was the accumulation of vehicles at some specific points that resulted in very long queues at many places. The vehicular traffic towards the main route of the procession had been diverted to alternative routes but on the intersections on their way, a large number of vehicles converged creating a chaos. The traffic police personnel deployed there could not manage to control the situation.
At many places, exhausted commuters were seen brawling with each other amid hot mid-day weather conditions. “We cannot drink water,” a distressed fasting passenger of a coach stranded in the deluge near Karachi Press Club said.
MINISTER’S VISIT: Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui on Wednesday visited various localities in the city to inspect security arrangements made on the occasion of the Yaum-i-Ali.
He reviewed the measures taken by the law-enforcement agencies to ensure security of Imambargahs, venues of special congregations, the Zul Janah procession and the main procession.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister observed that Rangers were cooperating with the Sindh Police while the Traffic Police were discharging their duty to ensure a smooth flow of vehicular traffic across the city.
Mr Siddiqui remained in the main Yaum-i-Ali procession and also inquired from the participants about the security and traffic arrangements. They expressed their satisfaction over the measures.
The minister was kept informed about the situation by senior officials of the Rangers and Sindh Police whole the day.—PPI
