KARACHI, Aug 17: The Supreme Court directed the traffic police and the city government on Friday morning to immediately stop the entry of heavy vehicles in the city during daytime.

Heavy vehicles should be allowed to enter Karachi only between 11pm and 6am, said an interim order passed by an SC bench comprising Justices Rana Bhagwandas and Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi in exercise of the court suo motu power. Apparently, there would be no restriction on the intra-city heavy traffic movement and exit during the daytime.

Following the agonizing traffic jams on the eve of the Independence Day, the court had issued notices to the traffic police, the city nazim, the city government and the provincial transport secretary, who regulates route permits of buses and coaches, for Aug 17.

DIG Traffic Wajid Ali Khan Durrani, Transport Secretary Rasool Bakhsh Phulpoto, CDGK district coordination officer Javed Haneef (on behalf of the city nazim) and the executive district officer for traffic, Tahir Soomro, appeared on Friday and submitted their detailed reports dealing with the causes and solution to the traffic problem.

The bench remarked that it could not go through the reports due to paucity of time. “In all fairness, such reports ought to be filed one day earlier for our perusal. In future, all concerned shall abide by this direction and the office shall not entertain such belated reports from any agency,” it observed. The hearing was adjourned till Aug 21 at the request of DCO Javed Haneef, representing the city nazim.

The PPI news agency quoted Justice Rana Bhagwandas as saying: “Why does the city nazim feel shy of appearing in court? Nobody is above the law. His act could be taken as contempt of court.”

The city government submitted through Advocate Manzoor Ahmed that it was fully conscious of the problem but a solution involved the traffic police as well as the provincial transport department. On its part, it was constructing new roads, expressways, bypasses and overhead bridges to ease the traffic congestion. It was also constructing new terminals for intercity vehicular traffic but the transporters were adamant on using the old bus stands situated in Saddar, Lyari, old Sabzi Mandi and other places. It was also taking steps to phase out single-stroke rickshaws, which were being resisted by the existing motor rickshaw owners, and introducing CNG buses, which too were being opposed by the transporters.

The bench observed that roads remained dug up for months together causing pollution and hindering smooth flow of traffic. Repair or maintenance work or even building of new roads did not justify digging up for such long periods.

The traffic police complained of a lack of cooperation of municipal authorities, ever increasing volume of intra-city and intercity traffic, shortage of personnel and dug-up roads. The transport department said that it issued route permits but it was for the traffic police to check violations.

The bench said in its Friday’s order: “At the hearing of the case, officers present in the court have attempted to highlight the problems without dilating on their sincere and serious efforts for the resolution of the problems and without pinpointing any workable and viable solution to overcome the acute traffic congestion and traffic hazards in the city of Karachi. There appears to be a total lack of willingness, want of coordination and absence of political will on the part of all concerned to shoulder the responsibilities and to solve the chronic civic problems faced by the residents of this cosmopolitan city.

“All those present as well as the city nazim are directed to make serious, sincere and concerted efforts to sort out the menace of traffic jams and submit a working plan on top priority basis without wasting any time because fundamental rights of citizens are being trampled upon and violated owing to sheer negligence and inaction on the part of all concerned directly and indirectly to fulfill such obligations”.