• Tessori asks Sindh govt to take action against ‘bloodthirsty dumper trucks’
• Mayor advises traffic authorities to allow heavy traffic from 8pm to 6am
• JI, Muttahida accuse police of taking bribes to allow movement of heavy vehicles during daytime

KARACHI: An alarming rise in fatal accidents involving dumper trucks and water tankers has sparked widespread outrage against the traffic police, with opposition parties, the governor and Karachi mayor all calling for restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles in the metropolis in the daytime to prevent further loss of precious of lives.

The opposition Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have accused the traffic police of taking bribes to allow heavy traffic to move freely in the city during daytime.

The strong criticism came following the tragic death of as many as nine persons, including a couple and an employee of the Pakistan Navy, who, according to the traffic police, were killed in six traffic accidents across the city during the past 24 hours.

Governor Kamran Tessori expressed his anger over the growing fatal accidents and unchecked movement of the heavy traffic and asked the Sindh government, provincial ministers and the police to take decisive action against “bloodthirsty dumper trucks”.

“Do not force me to stand in front of these dumpers. The Sindh government, the provincial ministers, and the inspector general of police Sindh must take action against the deadly dumpers. Those playing with lives should be brought to justice,” he told a press conference on Thursday.

Mayor’s letter to traffic police

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab wrote a letter to the DIG-traffic and expressed “great concerns” over the growing traffic accidents and called for immediate measures to control the situation.

The letter also “recommended” specific timings for the movement of heavy traffic.

“It is a source of great concern that a large number of citizens have lost their lives and countless have sustained injuries due to unregulated movement of heavy vehicles (dumpers and trucks) across the city,” the letter stated.

“The present situation is unacceptable and needs intervention of all relevant civic agencies. The mayor, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the City Council have taken notice of the situation and directed that all possible efforts be made to address the issue,” it said.

The mayor asked the traffic police to allow heavy vehicles to ply on city roads during late hours, preferably between 8pm and 6am. “Vehicles performing essential and municipal services be allowed to operate during regular hours, but they may be made subject to constant screening by traffic police,” it added.

City’s deteriorating infrastructure also blamed for accidents

The opposition parties, however, blamed the Sindh government of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the surge in fatal accidents as they argued that the deteriorating road conditions and crumbling infrastructure are just as much to blame for the rising fatalities.

The opposition also accused the police of failure and focusing more on “bribes” than enforcing traffic laws.

Talking to reporters in Malir at the funeral of a man and his wife who were run over and killed by a dumper truck on Rashid Minhas Road, JI-Karachi chief Monem Zafar questioned the performance of the traffic police and said how come it’s possible that dumpers were roaming in the city during the daytime despite restrictions.

Commenting on the mayor’s letter to the traffic police, he said: “The mayor has written a letter to the police high-ups, but he couldn’t shrug off the responsibility of the prevailing situation from his shoulders by just writing a letter. The PPP is directly responsible for the situation.”

89 citizens killed in traffic accidents in January: MQM-P

Also on Thursday, provincial lawmakers belonging to the MQM-P criticised the traffic police for its “failure” to control the heavy vehicles that claimed over 80 lives in January alone.

“According to statistics, 89 citizens died in traffic-related accidents in the month of January alone,” they said in a joint statement. “However, the traffic police officers are seen accepting bribes, allowing tankers and trailers to move freely during the daytime.”

They also blamed the dilapidated condition of the city’s roads for the surge in traffic accidents and demanded an immediate action to address the traffic issue.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2025