HYDERABAD, May 17: Members of the district council of Hyderabad on Wednesday expressed their concern over the alarming traffic situation in the city causing immense hardship to people, especially students, and said that encroachment is a major factor behind the problem.

The members said that one-way traffic system on the pattern of modern cities should be introduced in the city and traffic signs should be installed at all major roundabouts. They said it was a serious matter and needed proper attention of the district government.

They also called for providing of basic facilities in rural areas and villages to bring them at par with urban centres. A resolution of Arshad Naeem Taimori and Parveen Akhtar Lodhi was adopted unanimously.

Traffic jams, the resolution said, had become a matter of daily routine in civil hospital area, causing problems to children and old people in absence of traffic police as people parked their vehicles in a disorderly manner.

They said that one way traffic system should be introduced in the city and sign boards should also be installed. Afzal Ahmed Shah, Hussain Bux Hussain, Mehboob Abro, Parvez Ranjha, Munawar Zai, Afzal Shah, Abbas Khan, Richard Arif and Q.Hakim supported the resolution, saying the District Police Officer and the traffic police officers should have been called as the city presents an ugly picture of traffic congestion.

They believed that commercialisation was another factor for traffic chaos while shortage of parking spaces made the matters worse for people. They maintained that pushcarts remained scattered on almost every road leaving no space for pedestrians and motorcycles. They said encroachments in front of shops were another hazard disturbing smooth flow of traffic but no one takes notice of it.

They said that mere ban on entry of buses in the city would not serve purpose as encroachments’ removal is essential. The members observed that thousands of people arrived in different vehicles in the city daily from interior of Sindh and city’s roads remained too congested for them and said that matter should be reviewed in detail.

Mehboob Abro walked out in protest along with Saleem Jahejo for a brief period after disagreeing with the convenor’s observation in the matter, questioning composition of transport committee of district government. He said, the house was being by-passed.

Through another resolution Zahida Memon demanded sui gas connections and laying of sewerage line to Goth Aliabad. Sajida Baloch, Yamin Soomro, Javed Qureshi, Ashraf Munna, Arshad Naeem, Q.Hakim and Ghulam Rasool Samoon backed the resolution while pleading that its scope should be expanded to the entire district.