KARACHI, May 23: Commuters and pedestrians in Saddar and Lyari towns have been facing immense hardships and inconveniences because of illegal termini set up by the operators of upcountry-bound buses in the locality.

Residents of the old city areas maintain that these termini are a major source of traffic obstructions in the locality. One of them pointed out: "We can not move freely through shopping malls like Lea Market, Khajoor Bazaar, Mahabat Khanji Road, Kharadar and Mithadar due to the parking, stopover, loading/offloading and other practices, all in a haphazard manner, by the transporters."

He recalled that the Saddar Town administration had a few weeks back launched an operation against the goods transporters in the areas like Chand Bibi Road, Nanakwara and Bheempura. Had this operation been extended to the Lea Market area and certain parts of the Lyari Town, the situation would have been quite different today, he added.

The constant hue and cry by the residents of affected localities against the transporters and their repeated appeals for the shifting of these termini to some places outside the residential areas have never been heeded by the concerned city or town authorities.

Despite the fact that the defunct KMC had allotted alternative sites to enable the transporters resettle their business and facilitate free movement and comfortable living and travel for the residents, none of the transporters appeared ready to move out.

Flagrant violation of traffic rules by the vehicle operators and transporters at Lea Market and Sheedi Village Road, in presence of traffic police, has become a regular feature.

It is observed that all types of vehicles are run through these areas and their brief and long halt elsewhere has converted many localities into a bus terminus spread over a vast area where the transport mafia reigns supreme.

A complete chaos is witnessed during peak hours of morning and evening when the upcountry transporters park their vehicles in the middle of the roads, blocking the other traffic in violation of the prescribed rules.

The town administration has failed to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and a clear walk-through on these roads. Admitting that they have failed in convincing the transporters to move out of the residential areas, the municipal authorities have always been accusing the police of non-cooperation.

Local buses and mini-buses terminating their journey at Lea Market and Sheedi Village Road originate from Landhi, Malir, Quaidabad, Gadap, Korangi, etc. All these vehicles are parked along sides the roads which results in traffic congestion in the whole area.

The inter-city buses arrive here mainly from the interior of Sindh, i.e, Thatta, Sujawal, Sehwan, etc. and many other routes lead to various NWFP and Balochistan cities and towns.

Over the past decade, the number of such buses have increased manifold and the increased number of commuters has resulted in crowding elsewhere around the termini. The transporters have ultimately been encroaching upon more and more localities which include the one where a tonga stand exists since many decades.

The other roads encroached upon heavily are Chawkiwara Road, Mir Mohammad Baloch Road and D. D. Chaudhry Road. The encroachers have been occupying every inch of the market land either by force or by greasing palms of the local police.