KARACHI, March 18: Maintenance work on traffic signals in the city has fallen victim to disputes between the city district government and other concerned authorities, including cantonments boards, Karachi Port Trust and the Defence Housing Authority.

About 152 traffic signals are operational in Karachi, of which some 74 are being operated by traffic and communication department of the city government. It is reported that the number of complaints regarding various inoperative traffic signals has been increasing.

Source said the city government had taken serious notice of such traffic signals which fall under the jurisdiction of other civic agencies and cantonments boards, and has expressed willingness to repair them despite the fact that they are not under its authority.

Five cantonment boards, Defence Housing Authority and the KPT intend to hand over the maintenance works on the remaining 77 traffic signals to the city government but are reluctant to give the expenditures, the sources added.

However, negotiations between the representatives of the boards and the city government are under way to find a viable solution to the issue, the sources contented.

Meanwhile, the traffic communication department has formed a committee to look after the maintenance of affected traffic signals which comes under the jurisdiction of the city government.—PPI