An increase in rallies, protests and sit-in on city's busiest roads is causing hour's long gridlock. Besides increasing miseries of commuters, such unscheduled programmes also invite danger by gathering masses for showing strength. Increase in such incidents shows resentment of general public towards current governmental set-up.
Convergence of masses on main arteries of the metropolis has enhanced workload of resourceless untrained and a very thin traffic controllers and law enforcement agencies. An unethical way of expressing freedom on roads of highly volatile city has created new challenges for law enforcers to maintain law and order situation. An uneven situation, caused by such unplanned activities, is causing hour's long traffic mess on busiest roads. Whereas, the commuters have developed waiting habits due to closure of vehicular traffic because of such painful activities.
Marching various linking arteries of the city, the small groups converged onto M A Jinnah Road, most busiest road in southern part of port city leading to consumer markets and business centres by linking eastern and western parts, and advances towards Karachi Press Club (KPC), Governor House, Chief Minister House and other government offices to record their protest by paralysing entire city.
On the other hand, protests, demonstrations and sit-in outside the KPC also disturbed smooth flow of vehicular traffic passing through Shara-e-Faisal and coming from I I Chundrigar Road, Clifton, DHA and Sultanabad towards eastern part of the city. Due to closure of M A Jinnah Road, a huge traffic from eastern and western parts of the city, heading towards Tower, diverted to New Preedy Street and Nishtar Road. While the commuter coming from Tower to M A Jinnah Road compelled to shift to Shara-e-Liaquat, New Preedy Street, Eidgah Chowk and Waheed Murad Chowk, Jameela Street and then moved to Nishtar Road to reach at their destinations.
But, as the traffic, heading towards Tower, diverted to New Preedy Street, it causes traffic jam. Due to narrow lanes, designed for movement of a specific area, received load of traffic from all around. Like this, vehicular traffic, coming from Tower to M A Jinnah Road, resulted into traffic mess at Eidgah Chowk and Nishtar Road due small alternate routes and huge inflow of vehicular traffic.
In a brief interview with Business Recorder, Khurram Gulzar, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Traffic said "every after three days, there is a rally, protest or demonstration on M A Jinnah Road." "There is no alternative of such painful activities, but I will advice the general public for developing patience and tolerance, the DIG opined with sorrow, adding that a very thin force with limited powers cannot help them."
"Few years ago, there were limited religious gatherings and political events on M A Jinnah Road, but now blockage of road has become important in such unethical activities," he added. "There was complete breakdown of law and order situation in such events where enraged crowd took control of vehicular traffic from police and asked them to disappear, so what can we do in such situation," he argued.
"As the main roads reopened after gap of hours, inflow of vehicular traffic at linking roads increases, which resulted into congestion and it took entire day for clearance, he said. I have suggested the high-ups for allocating grounds for such gathering to ensure smooth flow of traffic, like foreign countries."