KARACHI, Oct 13: The city government has ordered the preparation of a detailed report on redesigning and reconstruction of the four busiest traffic intersections of Karachi under a short-term plan.
During a visit to these intersections which include Gurumandir, Purani Numaish, Bacha Khan Chowk and Nagan Chowrangi, the City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, was on Saturday briefed about the quantum of traffic flow on each of these crossings and the urgent need for their redesigning, reconstruction and installation of signals.
The City Nazim was informed that approximately 90,000 vehicles pass during 16 hours from the Bacha Khan Chowk. Under the new design, the road would pass in the midst of the roundabout where signals would be installed to control the traffic. Besides, there will be a path for pedestrians, bus stop and a green-belt.
The Nagan Chowrangi project will also be taken into hand to make it according to modern requirements as about 0.150 million vehicles ply between North Karachi, Surjani Town, New Karachi, Sohrab Goth and old city area, pass through this roundabout.
At Guru Mandir roundabout, the City Nazim was informed that this was the most busiest intersection of the city from where 0.350 million vehicles pass during 16 hours. At present there is no signalling system nor any other arrangements to control the traffic, hence there is a dire need to immediately start the work under short-term plan. The City Nazim accorded an approval to the project with the directives for a long-term planning of the project.
As regards Purani Numaish roundabout, he was told that it needed installation of signals at six points for a smooth flow of traffic as about 0.3 million vehicles pass from here.
The City Nazim was accompanied by District Coordination Officer Shafique-ur-Rahman Paracha, Brig. Ghulam Qadir, Executive District Officer Transport Malik Zaheerul Islam, officials of traffic police.
PARKING PLAZA: The federal government has offered to hand over the land of abandoned project of Sports Complex, located on M.A. Jinnah road, to the City District Government Karachi for construction of a parking plaza.
The vast plot belongs to the ministry of sports and culture and was lying unused since past more than 25 years as work of the sports complex was abandoned at its early stage of construction.
The offer was made originally to the defunct KMC a few months back, which had started using the plot for charged parking. Earlier this year, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf at a presentation about the abandoned projects in Karachi had directed the Sindh government to hand over the plot to KMC for constructing parking plaza, official sources said.
The Sindh government and the KMC authorities were suggested to allot a suitable plot in the city to the ministry of sports and culture in exchange of this plot. The defunct KMC, after receiving this offer, had started planning and designing work for the proposed parking plaza. The responsibility to undertake this project has been shifted to City District Government.—PPI