KARACHI: The traffic police on Tuesday informed the Sindh High Court that it had identified 131 illegal parking sites operating in different parts of the metropolis.

The information was provided by the DIG-traffic to a division bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Mohammad Abdur Rahman.

On the last date of hearing, the SHC had expressed resentment over authorities for running illegal charged parking in the city and summoned senior officials.

The DIG-traffic and other officials were in attendance when the bench took up a set of identical petitions filed against charged parking on roads, footpaths and other public spaces in different parts of the provincial metropolis.

19,836 cars, 85,275 motorcycles lifted from unauthorised parking spaces between Jan 1 and Dec 3

In his report, the DIG stated that the basic function of the Karachi traffic police was to control / regulate vehicular traffic on roads and implement the motor vehicles laws.

He maintained that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), district municipal corporations (DMCs) and cantonment boards were granting charged parking contracts and the traffic police had raised the issue with these authorities in several meetings and asked them to also take traffic police on board before allowing such contracts.

Referring to an observation of the bench that private persons were still running illegal parking spaces in collusion with the traffic police, the DIG stated in the report that the traffic police was not involved in illegal parking activities.

The report also maintained that the traffic police had registered 81 cases, arrested 103 suspects and issued 83,797 challans over illegal parking in the city from Jan 1 to Dec 3.

It said a fine of over Rs50 million had also been imposed on violators and 19,836 cars and 85,275 motorcycles were lifted from unauthorised parking spots during the same period.

The DIG also submitted that the traffic police had identified 131 sites of illegal parking in the city.

He stated that this information was also shared with officials of other civic agencies.

In his report submitted before the bench, the director of the charged parking of the KMC submitted that at present, the KMC had designated 46 sites in the metropolis for charged parking and the same were being run through contractors, who were awarded contracts by way of an open auction.

However, the SHC noted that the KMC website contained data that said it maintained 76 charged parking sites in its jurisdiction.

The KMC official stated that the Karachi mayor had recently discussed with the DIG-traffic the issue of illegal parking and traffic congestion in the city and it was decided that charged parking department of the KMC would carry out lane marking so that all vehicles should be parked within the marked area.

It further submitted that the KMC was charging parking fees under the Sindh Local Government Act (SLGA) 2013 and charged parking bye-laws, 1975.

The report also said that earlier, DMCs were charging parking fees by exercising powers under the SLGA, but those powers ceased to exist after recent amendment to the law.

The KMC maintained that the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) was also collecting parking fees at some locations without any power or authority and asked the SHC to assess such authority of KDA and DMCs.

The SHC directed the KMC and traffic police to take action against illegal and unauthorised parking in the city and file detailed reports till Dec 13.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023