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KARACHI, Nov 17: Haphazardly parked vehicles around Lea Market have become a persisting menace for commuters, pedestrians and residents in Lyari Town, who hold transporters and area police responsible for the situation.
According to the area residents, they have been facing manifold problems because of the frequent traffic jams occurring around the market roundabout. The residents mainly held the upcountry transporters responsible for creating traffic congestions in the area by violating all the rules.
"The situation seems to be beyond the control of municipal authorities and traffic police," an irked resident remarked. In October last, the Lyari Town administration and Traffic officials launched a joint drive against the encroachers around the market area, and removed many illegal structures creating hindrance in traffic flow.
The residents and the concerned people said the drive could not succeed because of non-cooperation of the district police force. The town officials are of the view that the traffic could not be regulated without the cooperation of the police.
A RESIDENT SAID: "We can not freely move in the market places such as Lea Market, Kajoor Bazar, Mohabat Khanji Road, Kharadar and Mithdar due to haphazard parking of vehicles every where."
They residents said that the Saddar Town had launched a daring operation against the goods transporters in the Old Town areas such as Chandbibi Road, Nankwara and Bimpura areas, adding that had the operation been extended to Lea Market and other parts of Lyari Town, where transporters had built illegal terminals, the situation would have been quite different today.
They said frequent public outcry for shifting of these terminals outside the city's residential areas could not impress the city as well as town administration. According to them, flouting of all traffic rules by transporters at Lea Market and Sheedi Village Road had become a routine.
It is observed that all types of vehicles from various city routes and the upcountry come to and go from the locality, virtually converting it into a huge bus terminal where the transport mafia reigns supreme.
A complete chaos is witnessed during the peak hours of morning and evening when the upcountry transporters park their vehicles in the middle of the roads, blocking the traffic in complete violation of rules.
Over the years, Lea Market and the Sheedi Village Road have been turned into major terminals in the city where a number of local, inter-city and inter-province buses, mini-buses either terminate or start their journey.
Besides, a number of local buses and mini-buses make their intermediate stops here, or pass through the market, while those terminating their journey here come from Landhi, Malir, Quaidabad, Gadap and Korangi.
The inter-city buses arrive here mainly from the interior of Sindh, i.e, Thatta, Sujawal, Banu, Sewan etc. Buses also come and go from here to various cities of Balochistan and the NWFP, including Hub, Lasbela, Khuzdar, Turbat, Quetta, Gawadar and Peshawar.
During the past decade, the number of these buses has increased manifold, as a large number of workers come here for their journey to Hub and Bela. The transporters, who park these buses at Sheedi Village Road and Chawkiwara Road, have now gradually started encroaching upon the old tonga stand and adjacent areas, which included Mir Mohammad Baloch Road and D.D Chaudhary Road.
