KARACHI: Acting President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Altaf A Ghaffar has fervently appealed Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab to take concrete steps on war footing basis for improving the dilapidated road infrastructure of the megacity which has become of cause of mental torture for all the Karachiites due to frequent traffic jams.
Referring to wide number of complaints being received at KCCI, Acting President said that delays in restoration of road network which were terribly damaged particularly during this year’s monsoon has triggered a lot of anxiety not only amongst members of business community but also the general public who find themselves being mentally tortured every day on the street of Karachi where the situation has worsened to such an extent that most of the roads have become neither commutable not walk-able because of pot-holes and overflowing sewerage lines.
“If you take a walk in the district South particularly Jodia Bazaar, Mauripur, Keamari, Bolton Market, Lee Market, Tower, Lyari, MA Jinnah Road, Arambagh and other nearby localities, all of them look war-ravaged,” he said. He said this sheer negligence towards providing livable conditions to public was triggering hatred amongst the public who find themselves being terribly punished despite paying the highest amount in taxes. “Is this what Karachi deserves against all its contribution to the national and provincial economies in terms of revenue,” he asked
He further said that it was a matter of grave concerns that the largest city of Pakistan which contributes more than 65 percent revenue to the national exchequer and 95 percent to provincial kitty remains largely deprived and the only thing this megacity receives is lip-service. “Commuting on the streets of Karachi has become a matter of life & death nowadays as after staying stuck-up for hours, the frustrated commuters usually start violating traffic rules including the violation of one-way rule that often results in life-threatening accidents in addition to further worsening the traffic jam situation,” he said, urging that patch work at roads has to be initiated immediately to resolve the serious issue of frequent traffic jams.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024