KARACHI: As newly-appointed Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal and then provincial police chief A.D. Khowaja finalise a plan for security and traffic management during Ramazan, the officials at the helm of affairs believe that keeping movement of more than four million vehicles on city roads smooth would be a much bigger challenge during this year’s holy month compared to past years, with 22 key spots and intersections under construction for different development projects.

Although the authorities claim to have prepared a “contingency plan” to take up the challenge, they admit the fact that the incomplete development projects and ongoing construction activities in different districts would cause “a little more pain than the past” to commuters this Ramazan which required “their patience and cooperation”.

“In Ramazan, managing traffic has always been a challenge for the police,” said an official. “But this year it’s more than that. In seven zones of Karachi traffic police’s organisational structure, total 22 points have been identified where traffic this Ramazan can cause more pain to commuters than past years. In South there is one point so far, four in City, five in Central, four in East, two in West and Korangi zones and four in Malir.”

The official cited development projects launched by the provincial and local administrations in different districts as the reasons behind such assessment and most of them were scheduled to be completed by June this year. During the holy month, he said, the status was not going to change at these points.

22 key spots, intersections under construction for different uplift projects

Karachi’s traffic woes — which have always remained a key civic issue of the city — came under spotlight recently when the provincial government following the federal government’s Green Line bus project launched several development projects simultaneously, causing enormous traffic issues on the roads.

The situation worsened in February this year when in a short span of one week, half a dozen people were killed in accidents on the same portion of the under-construction University Road.

Amid strong criticism of poor planning for development projects as well as a pathetic public transport system in the city and severe mismanagement and incompetence of the traffic police, the police authorities were defending themselves by blaming the local administration for the recent traffic mess.

Fearing the situation turning more serious in Ramazan, the traffic authorities have succeeded in persuading the provincial government to get support from regular police force during the fasting month for controlling traffic when needed.

“The home minister on our request has issued directives to the Karachi police for our assistance,” said DIG Traffic Asif Ejaz Sheikh. “We have planned our best to take up the challenge this Ramazan, but at the same we are short of manpower to keep roads smooth for traffic which are playing host to more than 3.5 million vehicles every day. So with the assistance of the Karachi police in Ramazan, we are confident of handling the situation successfully.”

Apart from development projects, he said, parking in commercial areas and Eid shopping spree in the second half of Ramazan had always been other issues challenging the smooth flow of traffic.

“For that we have approached every single management of major shopping centres, plazas and malls to take care of parking of their customers. We would not tolerate parking on roads or around key intersections. At the same time, we also appeal to the people of Karachi to be cooperative and avoid parking their cars on roads when they are out shopping,” the DIG Traffic said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2017