KARACHI, Dec 9: Citizens had to endure long hours of traffic jams for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday during the peak evening hours as all roads and streets mainly downtown were clogged with vehicles.

Motorists and passengers in public transport had to wait for hours to get out of the mess as the traffic police failed miserably to ensure smooth traffic flow. The district police it seemed, made no effort to extend a helping hand to the traffic police in clearing the traffic mess.

The traffic police was also admonished by Sindh Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui, on Saturday for mishandling traffic for the last three days. He said the recent rain and development work being carried out at various places in the city was hampering traffic but it was the traffic police department’s duty to devise measures to ensure traffic flowed smoothly.

He directed the DIG Traffic to ensure traffic police officials did their duty. He said he had received numerous complaints about double and triple parking on roads in Saddar and against the attitude of police officials. Mr Siddiqui warned the police officers of stern action if they failed to mend their ways. However, it seems the police have failed to devise any such plan.

Yesterday, traffic coming from Purani Numaish towards Saddar moved at a snail’s pace on M.A.Jinnah Road as there was no way to enter Zaibunnisa Street which was clogged with vehicles. Similarly, all of M.A. Jinnah Road up to Merewether Tower was badly jammed. The same situation prevailed for traffic coming from Merewether Tower. I.I. Chundrigar Road and Shahrah-i-Liaquat were also clogged with vehicles. Traffic was also almost at a standstill on Abdullah Haroon Road, Dr Daudpota Road, Sarwar Shaheed Road, M.R. Kiyani Road, Deen Mohammad Wafai Road, portion of Sharea Faisal, Metropole Hotel intersection, Regal Chowk, Singer Chowk, Empress Market and its adjoining streets. The traffic police officials present seemed helpless. The worst sufferers were ambulances and its occupants which kept blowing sirens at different places but were trapped in the flux of vehicles and found no way.