• Murad blames damaged roads, illegal parking areas for worsening traffic situation
• Asks LG minister, Karachi mayor and commissioner to identify 10 to 15 major roads for anti-encroachment operation by today
• Points out role of drug addicts in damaging public infrastructure

KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday formed a task force and once again ordered removal of encroachments and illegal parking across the city as the authorities concerned had apparently turned a deaf ear to the instructions he had given to all civic and local bodies three months ago for eradication of the menace.

On July 12, he had directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, town municipal corporation and city administration to remove encroachments from public spaces with the support of police, observing that encroachments on footpaths, green belts, walkways and streets had defaced the city and were causing serious problems in the flow of traffic but no authority was ready to remove them.

Presiding over yet another meeting to discuss the deteriorating state of the city’s infrastructure on Tuesday, the chief minister also constituted a task force under the Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and set a deadline for clearing encroachments from 10 to 15 key roads in the city.

The chief minister said the ongoing development projects, damaged roads, drainage issues, illegal parking and rampant encroachments were major contributors to the city’s severe traffic congestion.

The committee formed under the local government minister with the mayor, commissioner and other relevant officers its members will identify 10 to 15 important roads in the city by Wednesday (today) and then initiate the operation to remove encroachments from walkways, green belts, streets, and footpaths.

He emphasised a zero-tolerance policy towards encroachments on major roads and instructed the administration, KMC, and towns to ensure close coordination in removing encroachments.

He also said that once removed, encroachments should not be allowed to re-emerge at any cost.

Additionally, Mr Shah stressed the need to preserve green belts and instructed the authorities that the outdoor generators placed by banks and hospitals be relocated within their premises.

He also pointed out the role of drug addicts in damaging public infrastructure, saying that they stole steel rods, streetlight pipes, and other materials, causing further degradation of public spaces.

“I want the administration to relocate all drug users currently living under bridges and in slum areas. Their theft of steel rods from bridges and streetlights not only defaces the city but also undermines our development efforts,” he said directing civic agencies to strengthen vigilance to prevent such thefts.

BRT Red Line

It was pointed out that the ongoing development work on the Red Line BRT was one of the traffic jam reasons in the area of Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The CM was told that the work on the BRT Red Line, particularly from Hasan Square to Tank Chowk had been speeded up.

The CM directed the authorities concerned to ensure the completion of the work on the said corridors by Dec or Jan 2025.

Meanwhile, he directed the administration to remove encroachments along the service road opened to traffic from Hasan Square onward.

Illegal parking

Regarding illegal parking, the CM emphasised the need to maintain smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion on busy roads.

It was noted that designated parking spaces in plazas were often underutilised, leading to parking in service lanes.

The chief minister directed that plazas with designated parking areas must ensure that their spaces were 100 per cent functional.

He also instructed deputy commissioners to identify plazas with underutilised parking spaces with assistance of the SBCA.

Mr Shah also directed the administration and the police to eradicate illegal parking practices through coordination with the traffic police.

Murad Shah directed that parking on roads with high traffic during peak hours was to be prohibited to reduce congestion.

The meeting participants also decided to launch a media campaign to inform the public about these new measures and build support and confidence in the initiative.

Moratorium on road cutting

Road cutting was a significant topic of discussion in the meeting, particularly in Lyari, where funds generated are not reinvested in road repair and rehabilitation, leading to subpar patchwork and rapid deterioration.

The meeting participants were informed that overlapping jurisdiction of various authorities exacerbated these problems.

The CM issued directives to establish road-cutting conditions, including a two-year moratorium on road-cutting after initial establishment.

“A dual costs system shall also be introduced to separate costs for road cutting and rehabilitation, minimising unnecessary digging,” he ordered.

Additionally, the CM decided that a centralised authority should be established to grant road-cutting permissions, with the collected fees transferred back to the towns.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2024