VVIPs' presence adds to traffic chaos in Karachi

Traffic remained jam on main roads of the city on Monday because of the movement of President General Musharraf and other VVIPs, who had come to Karachi to motivate newspaper editors, city nazims and politicians thinking alike on different political issues.
Traffic police has already cautioned citizens to adopt alternate routes to avoid inconvenience but this warning didn't work.
Traffic diverted from main roads leading to the Governor house, airport and Clifton remained choked most of the time. The traffic, which was diverted from these roads or the over-cautious drivers, who tried to avoid all such routes through which the President had to travel, added more confusion on the otherwise less busy roads.
M.A. Jinnah road, which caters to the needs of more than 70 percent of vehicular traffic, remained choked most of the time. All traffic diverted from other areas concentrated on this road and created congestion of the kind.
Generally, people think instead of using/entering into narrow lanes, it is better to travel on main roads. This thinking multiplied problems and most of the over-cautious drivers remained blocked on main roads for long periods.
To ensure foolproof security arrangements, Rangers and police were posted at all sensitive points. Hardly there was a place in the city, which didn't have security coverage. Snap checking of suspicious vehicles was seen on many roads.
Most of the city roads such as the bridge that connects Baloch Colony with Korangi road are without light and even if there were electricity poles but without bulbs. This patch of more than three kilometres was in complete darkness but strict checking of vehicles by the police and Rangers created mess on Sunday night. Traffic jams were seen on this section of road.
On Monday, the entire Shahrae Faisal - from airport to the Governor house, remained overcrowded and frequent traffic jams created inconvenience for people including ambulances carrying patients from different places to JPMC, NICD and Children Hospital.
Diversion from other routs kept traffic jammed on M.A. Jinnah road. The road leading from Metropole hotel to Clifton was also under heavy traffic pressure.
Throughout the day traffic police remained busy only on main roads, which were earmarked for the President and other VVIPs' travel.
Citizens have asked the city nazim to plan a separate road for VVIP movement or provide diversions to vehicular traffic so that people are saved from inconvenience.