KARACHI, March 29: Resentment against illegal bus terminuses in residential areas of Lyari is growing, and residents and public representatives have demanded their immediate shifting.

On Thursday, the Nazims and councillors of the town launched a three-day protest campaign by staging a sit-in near Lea Market as a mark of protest, against the city government’s attitude towards the issue.

They said they have repeatedly urged the city government to take effective measures to remove the illegal bus terminuses from residential areas and put a ban on movement of goods-carriers in residential areas of the town, but no action had been taken.

A nerve-racking traffic jam is witnessed almost daily at Lea Market because of traffic congestion due to mushroom growth of mini-bus stands set up illegally on main road and link roads.

Road-side auto workshops and vending business has further made the life of residents miserable and the entire main road and link roads, including Sheedi Village Road, Mir Mohammad Baloch Road, D.D. Chaudhry Road and Fidha Husain Shaikha Road up to Mewashah Road, have been encroached upon by transporters, patharidars, pushcart vendors and fruit-sellers.

Shopkeepers, too, have occupied footpaths, creating problems for pedestrians.

Transporters often park their vehicles on both sides of roads and in front of public places, such as hospitals, schools and government buildings in complete violation of traffic rules.

As all these violations take place, the traffic police and other authorities do not take any notice of the situation, people said.

A survey of Lea Market and its adjoining areas showed that traffic chaos has become a regular feature and the situation is aggravating day-by-day.

A number of local and inter-city buses and mini-buses either terminate or start their journey, but the authorities have prepared no plan to regulate the traffic and check road-side encroachments.

A number of bus and mini-buses make their intermediate stops here or pass through the Lea Market and the entire market area and its link arteries have been turned into bus terminus.

Local buses and mini-buses terminating here ply from Landhi, Malir, Quaidabad, Gadap and Korangi.

Moreover, buses from Thatta, Sujawal, Sehwan, and other parts of the country, including Hub, Lasbella, Khuzdar, Turbat Gwadar and Peshawar also arrive here.

Area people say that during the last 10 years, the number of buses has increased, as a large number of workers from various parts of Karachi come here for their journey to Hub and Bela. These buses are parked at Sheedi Village Road, Chawkiwara Road and now they have taken over the Old Tonga Stand.

Residents blame the municipal officials and the police for giving the transporters a free hand who have defaced the whole area by establishing mini-bus stands in the surroundings of the market.

Area residents allege that police are protecting about 500 encroachers by accepting protection money which runs into millions in a month.