THE necessity of producing good, readable, reliable and uptodate maps of Karachi and of the whole country has evidently escaped the attention of the relevant information and publicity departments. This is one more reason why tourists have difficulty getting around anywhere in Pakistan. This among other things is a great loss of foreign exchange.

A very serious effort has to be made for producing both paper and digital maps. The maps should cater to tourists, foreigners or businessmen on short visits to the city etc. The locals too very much need the possibility of easily locating amenities like hospitals, schools or means of transportation.

Taxi and car drivers would easily locate destinations, thus using shorter routes which will not only save time but fuel too. From schoolchildren to professional drivers, every one must learn how to read maps. In fact after a few years of educational campaign it must be deemed necessary for taxi drivers to pass a test on map reading before getting a driver's licence. Every taxi must be obliged to carry a map of the city. Eventually, such measures may lessen the damaging effects on health and general environment.

To avoid cluttering, the digital map should comprise different layers which should aim at catering to the tourists showing monuments, museums, historical ruins, restaurants, cafes, beaches, fishing spots, yacht harbours, marinas, parks and such other places.

Similarly, ambulance personnel, firefighters, taxi drivers or businessmen would easily locate the desired destination and the most efficient route to get there, from a different layer. Detailed layers would show bus routes, roads, railway lines with stations, cycling and jogging tracks, overhead cables, hills with height from sea level. Spots with good views could also be marked. Shopping areas and bazaars with public parking could be of great help as well as showing the location of public toilets.

Very valuable data can easily be dug up by the city authorities from their own abundant archives. On a special layer each and every property should be marked with the greatest possible exactitude. Property owners could then refer to it as an authoritative source.

To maintain a link to the past, former names of streets, parks and buildings should be mentioned as a rule. If a structure has been torn down that too should be indicated. We cannot afford to ignore what has been. A word of warning would be to guard the interests of the general public and not to bow down to crass commercialism that this avenue too is compromised.

ABID KHAN

Karachi