Extensive encroachment and an under-construction and long-awaited fly-over at New M A Jinnah Road is adding to the miseries of crises-stricken people of this metropolis.
The roadside encroachment on both sides from Islamia College Road leading towards Jail Chowrangi has been the main hurdle for traffic flow, which on Thursday witnessed a clash between the showroom holders and the car lifters of traffic police. The shopkeepers gathered the traffic car lifters when they tried to lift a car parked on the road, with fining Rs 500, and forced the traffic police to flee from the area.
Though the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) had provided a locality near Dawood Engineering College, having the capacity of parking for around 1000 vehicles, the showroom holders were used to park all their vehicles covering almost 60 percent of the road and leaving very narrow space for the traffic flow. There were a few cars parked in the parking area while leaving the rest of space vacant.
The situation of traffic has been deteriorated after starting the construction work of a fly-over at Jail Chowrangi, which has already blocked the two roads of Shaheed-e-Millat and Jail Road.
Not only the showroom holders but also their customers were used to park their vehicles on the congested road, which also adds the commuters' sufferings. "Whenever we start the drive against illegal car parking, these people start fighting with us," said the inspector who was busy to mediate and solve the issue between the car lifters and showroom holders.
He said the showroom holders were responsible for the traffic gridlock along the road that despite repeated operation against them they were occupying half of the road. "The car lifters are also lifting the vehicles to make money as they were mostly leaving those commuter who pay some money as bribe to avoid the government fixed higher charge," a commuter said. He also alleged that police were more interested to get the bribe rather to fine with receipt.
However, Aijaz Ahmed, zonal chief of All Karachi Motor Dealers Association (AKMDA), who was the main person argued with car lifters, said that though we support the police against illegal parking but the lifters were deliberately teasing our customers. We have already minimised the parking by a single line from two to three lines, with the realisation that commuters were facing hardships.
"The government should first provide the parking facilities to the people than start such drive," he said adding that only the New M A Jinnah Road was not only the area where the traffic jam was routine but other areas of the city was also facing such problem.
In reply to a query that why they were not using the parking place to park their vehicles? he said that they were using the place as well. It is to mention here that CDGK has also failed to cater the city's ever-increasing parking requirements.
However, according to sources in the Transport and communication department of CDGK the construction work at four other parking plazas like Multi-storied Car Parking Plaza in Civic Centre Premises, Multi-storied Car Parking Plaza at Khwaja Shahabuddin Market adjacent Empress Market, Saddar, Under ground parking Plaza at Faizee Raimeen Arts Gallery, near Arts Council, M R Kiyani Road and Under ground parking at Baradari, Dr Zaiuddin Ahmed Road, adjacent to P C Hotel on Bot Basis, were going on.