KARACHI, Dec 16 (APP): The Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar while presiding over a meeting regarding traffic issues has directed the Commissioner and Karachi police to start a vigorous crackdown against the illegal parking areas in the city and prosecute the culprits involved in the racket and onward no agency would designate parking slot without consultation with the Traffic police.
The CM said that there were different agencies involved in creating traffic problems in the city, therefore he has called a joint meeting of Karachi police, Traffic Police, traffic engineering bureau, SEPA.
The meeting was attended by Caretaker Minister Home Brig (r) Haris Nawaz, Minister Tourism and Environment Arshad Wali Mohammad, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, IG Police Riffat Mukhtar, Additional IG Karachi Khadim Rind, Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, DIG Traffic Iqbal Dara, DIG Driving Licenses Irfan Baloch, DG SEPA Waris Gabol, Director Traffic Engineering Tariq Raffi and other concerned.DIG Traffic Iqbal Dara briefed the chief minister on the overall traffic police strength, and the issues involved in traffic congestion in the city.
The traffic police have a total strength of 9077 against which 6699 are working which shows a shortfall of 26.1 per cent or 2378 policemen. The CM was told that the city has a network of 9500 km where around 6.5 million vehicles, including 4,054,546 motorcycles are plying. Approximately 350,000 new vehicles are registered every year in the city and around 65,000 Extra seat Rickshaws are running in the city on illegal routes. During 2023 around 1.62 million tickets were issued for violation of traffic laws against which Rs836.12 million fine was recovered.
It was pointed out that with the induction of more Mass Transit systems like Green and Orange lines, the traffic issues would be resolved. The issue of traffic jams at and around University Road is the result of prolonged delays in the completion of the ongoing redline corridor.
The CM was told that movement of heavy traffic was restricted in the city area during daytime from 0600-2300 hours. However, there was a dire need to promulgate Section 144 Cr.P.C on the movement of heavy traffic in the city during day hours except the vehicles carrying essential commodities. It was pointed out that the solution to the traffic challenge may lie in the initiation of the projects like Mauripur Expressway and the redesigning of the Lyari Expressway for the movement of heavy transport.
At this, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab said that Lyari Expressway was designed and built for heavy traffic which has been endorsed by its consultant in writing. Only NHA was raising this point, otherwise, it has been resolved and heavy traffic be allowed on the Lyari Expressway. The CM constituted a committee under Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab with DIG Traffic, DG KDA and others concerned to sit together and resolve the issues so that Lyari Expressway could be open for heavy traffic.
The bottlenecks identified by the DIG traffic in the smooth flow of the traffic include S. M. Taufeeq Road, the Upward ramp of Liaquatabad Flyover towards Karimabad in front of Al-Karam Square which needed to be widened. Shahrah-e-Usman Rimz in front of Siddiq-e-Akbar Masjid at Nagan has become narrow due to the Green Line BRT station, therefore the width of footpaths needs to be reduced. Tariq Road at Ittehad Signal in front of Ghani’s Uniform has an unnecessary cut which creates congestion and needs to be closed.
Similarly, 11 bottlenecks were identified which could be rectified by widening the road. The CM directed Mayor Karachi to personally visit the bottlenecks and resolve their issues. Another issue of traffic congestion as identified by the traffic police was encroachments for which the CM directed Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput to remove the encroachment and resolve the issues.The CM was told that the present size and future growth of the city a sustainable, efficient transportation system requires the configuration of multiple agencies under a single body/authority.
Karachi Road Transport Authority (KRTA) can be established on the pattern of RTA Dubai. KRTA could be governed by a Board responsible for strategic/ Policy decision-making. The KRTA should be assigned the responsibility of maintenance, improvements, and beautification of road Infrastructure. Development and maintenance of Traffic-related infrastructure (Signals, Signs, Road Markings, etc) may also be assigned to the KRTA. The other job of the KRTA should be the development and allotment of charged parking spaces and allotment of advertisement sites on roads and public Transport.
IG Police told the CM that an amount of Rs273.4 million to disburse rewards to traffic policemen and Rs392.48 million for the purchase of machinery have not been released in the last few years. At this, the CM directed the home and the finance dept to release necessary funds for traffic police. Smoke-emitting vehicles: The chief minister directed Environment Minister Arshad Wali Mohammad to activate SPEA to impound the smoke-emitting vehicle for which he directed the IG police to provide the SEPA with the police force. Parking areas: The traffic police pointed out a number of illegally charged parking areas in the city.
Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that KMC has 25 charged parking areas and 25 towns of the city also designate charged parking spaces in their areas. The IG Police said that the traffic police were not being consulted while declaring a charged parking area. At this, the CM directed all the civic agencies, including the cantonments to consult the traffic police before declaring their charged parking areas. He directed his secretary to issue CM directives for all the agencies. The CM also directed the commissioner of Karachi to start cracking down against the illegal parking areas and prosecute the accused involved in the racket.
The CM was told that there were 91 signals in the city, of them only 30 were functional and 61 were out of order. The DHA and cantonment boards have 44 signals of which 33 were working. At this, the CM directed KDA’s traffic Engineering Bureau to get all its signals repaired and suggest more, if needed.
DIG Driving License Irfan Baloch briefing the CM said that 28 branches and six facilitation centres were issuing driving licenses. They include 10 DL branches issuing permanent and learner licenses, 18 DL branches issuing learners only, five police facilitation centres issuing learners only and one police facilitation centre of DHA issuing renewal and learners. The CM was told that several measures have been taken to eradicate malpractices.
An inspection/Surveillance system has been established and once transferred officials cannot be reposted in the Unit and an officer cannot be posted for more than five years and award one basic pay to all employees of DLS. The DLs issue around 25000 learner licenses and 30,000 permanent licenses daily earning Rs15 million yearly. The CM appreciated the DLs for working transparently.