KARACHI, Dec 31: People travelling in public and private transport means were stranded in exhausting traffic jams at various places on the eve of the Eidul Azha and New Year.

Worst of the traffic jams took place in Liaquatabad where vehicles were seen mingled with each other due to mismanagement on the part of traffic police. Intolerant behaviour of drivers of private and commercial vehicles was equally responsible for aggravation in the situation. Drivers of the vehicles carrying sacrificial animals were seen flouting traffic rules, adding to the mess. on Saturday, Sindh Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui had noticed traffic disorder and directed the acting DIG Traffic to ensure a smooth flow with special instructions to ensure that no traffic jams did occur on the occasion of Eid.

He directed the police to remove all hurdles in a smooth flow of traffic.

He also noticed hooters mounted on private vehicles, and instructed the traffic police to take action against in this regard without any discrimination. He asked people to follow traffic rules strictly and give the right of way to ambulances, often seen trapped in traffic jams, on priority.

However, the traffic police apparently turned a deaf ear to the minister’s directives and failed to manage and regulate the traffic flow at various places.

The worst situation was witnessed in Liaquatabad where the vehicles, coming from Karimabad, got stuck right from Dak Khana intersection up to the Liaquatabad flyover. Motorists were forced to take a u-turn to veer onto the wrong side to descended at Liaquatabad No.10. Many of the motorists put their vehicles in narrow lanes of Sharifabad to take an alternative route.

A similar situation witnessed on the other track of Shahrah-i-Pakistan where vehicles coming from Teen Hatti were stuck right from Nairang Cinema to Teen Hatti bridge. The impact of traffic jams in Liaquatabad was felt on various roads linking Liaquatabad and Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Nishtar Road and Jehangir Road, besides their link lanes and by-lanes.

Traffic jams were also witnessed on Tariq Road, around Hyderi Market and in Saddar, as well as on M. A. Jinnah Road intermittently.