No plan exists to accommodate growing number of vehicles, SHC told

Author: Staff Report

KARACHI: The number of registered vehicles in Karachi is 3.8 million with an increase of 900 vehicles everyday, but there is no urban planning to accommodate such a huge number of vehicles maneuvering on the city’s roads.

This was stated in a report submitted by the Traffic Police in the Sindh High Court on Wednesday. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing a petition filed by a social worker, against the closure of roads for the movement of public functionaries.

In response to the court notice, DIG Traffic Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh submitted the report, stating that the Traffic Police supports only the VIP/VVIP movement of the security agencies and road are closed and opened with their directives.

He said, “Karachi is the 7the biggest city of the World and 2nd largest of the Muslim World.” However, he added, Traffic Police Karachi is making strenuous efforts to ease traffic problems caused by excessive numbers vehicles, though there is an acute shortage of manpower and other means of communication.

He said that roads are never closed for protocol. However, keeping in view of the prevailing security situation of the country, the Traffic Police supports VVIP/VIP movements of security agencies as and when required by them, he added. Moreover, the Traffic Police arranges alternate routes to facilitate the public so that their movement on roads may not be obstructed and they can easily travel to their destinations.

Earlier, the petitioner submitted that motorcades of members of parliament, ministers, MPAs and leaders of political parties cause unnecessary inconvenience to public.

He told the judges that traffic is stopped and people are held hostage to give way to the high-speed movement of VIPs, who move with their bomb and bullet proof cars and tinted windows.

He said that ambulances carrying patients are held up in traffic jams, public is obstructed from reaching their destinations, even the doors of the hospitals are closed for the public, causing unfortunate death of patients.

He argued that obstructing free movement and liberty of the public was flagrant violation of basic and fundamental rights of the people. He, therefore, pleaded the court to direct the authorities to ensure that roads are not blocked during such movements.