KARACHI — The Sindh government on Friday attributed the severe traffic congestion on Mauripur Road and other major arteries in Karachi to poor port planning by the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). The gridlock comes after the end of a goods transporters’ strike, which led to a sudden surge of vehicles on city roads.
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Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed said that the KPT’s decision to unload all containers at the China Port simultaneously significantly contributed to the traffic jams. She noted that roads like Molvi Tamizuddin Road and Mai Kolachi Road had previously not experienced such heavy congestion, highlighting a lack of foresight in port operations.
Javed emphasized the need for better coordination between the traffic police and the Port Trust. She pointed out that Lyari Expressway was not designed to handle heavy container traffic and should not have been used for that purpose. Efforts by traffic authorities were ongoing, but Javed said a comprehensive traffic management plan should have been in place before releasing vehicles onto the roads.
The spokesperson also noted that additional disruptions were caused by Jamaat-e-Islami staging sit-ins at 13 locations to protest the e-challan system. These demonstrations further complicated the city’s traffic situation, with jams reported on M.T. Khan Road and surrounding areas.
Authorities assured that the situation was being closely monitored, with the DIG Traffic actively overseeing measures to ease congestion. Javed confirmed that discussions with SSP Traffic were ongoing and efforts were underway to restore normal traffic flow as soon as possible.
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Residents expressed frustration over the prolonged gridlock, calling for better planning and real-time coordination between city authorities and the port to prevent similar incidents in the future.