KARACHI, March 1: Traffic congestions were witnessed on various roads and thoroughfares causing hardships to motorists and commuters on Wednesday.

Most of the traffic congestions were caused by dug-up roads while traffic police were seen unwilling to clear the traffic mess. Major traffic clogging was witnessed on M.A. Jinnah Road, where public transport drivers violated traffic rules openly and no traffic official had dared stop and fine them. The violation of traffic signals by public transport drivers was one of the major factors of traffic jams.

Traffic police disappeared from Lucky Star, where vehicles were mingled up and motorists and commuters were trapped in the deluge of vehicles for hours. The traffic police officials were seen chatting each other instead of performing their duty.

Similarly, traffic blockade was also reported from Sharah-i-Pakistan at Ayesha Manzil, Water Pump and Sohrab Goth where loading trucks were seen violating the ban of movement during peak hours in the evening. Traffic police officials appeared helpless in controlling the traffic mess.

Besides, the traffic problem continues to exist especially during peak hours in Nazimabad, Gulbahar, Lasbella, Business Recorder Road, Jahangir Road, Jamshed Road, Jail Chowrangi, New M.A. Jinnah Road, Tariq Road, Bahadurabad, Hasan Square, Gharibabad, Burnse Road, Regal Chowk, Sharah-i-Iraq and Sir Shah Suleman Road.

Sources in the traffic police said that public transport operators had paid illegal gratification on weekly basis to the traffic police at each traffic section. Besides, traffic police lifted cars from so-called no parking zones to generate money.

They said that if section officers generating and distributing money to their ranks and files failed to do so they were afraid of being transferred. In this scenario, they seemed least bothered to maintain the traffic flow. The system could not be improved until the irregularities could be checked and the culture within the traffic police was changed, the sources added.