Not a priority? Change of commissioner delays railway track's repair

Traffic jams frequently occur near the track on Drigh Road

KARACHI: The announced repair work on the railway track near Drigh Road, which caused severe traffic congestion a couple of weeks ago, could not enter its second phase this past Saturday reportedly due to the transfer of former Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, under whose supervision the track was being repaired.

The road from airport to Sharae Faisal, after the Natha Khan Bridge, was closed for repair work of the railway track from 11pm to 4pm on January 2 and commuters were asked to use the alternate Korangi Industrial Area route.

The other track, from Sharae Faisal to the airport, was supposed to be repaired this Saturday night. However, a press release from the commissioner office stated that due to technical reasons the repair work has been postponed till Saturday, January 16.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's technical director-general Niaz Ahmed told The Express Tribune the work could not be carried out due Siddiqui's sudden transfer.

On the other hand, East traffic police SP Qamar Abbas Rizvi said it [delay] was due to VIP movement on Saturday night.

Hasty job?

Interestingly, the track that was repaired last week at Drigh Road failed to fulfill the purpose, according to a traffic police official.

The railway track, which had gone into a depression, was the cause of a severe traffic jam near the Natha Khan Bridge and according to the official, is still in depression, causing traffic to considerably slow down to cross it.

A resident of Shah Faisal Colony, Danish Ali, said he gets stuck in the traffic jam daily on his way to work. "The railway track is still in depression at some points," he said, adding that the track has not been repaired properly.

To this, Ahmed responded that next Saturday, when the second phase of the repair work resumes, they will address flaws in the already repaired track as well. However, Rizvi said the flow of traffic has improved.

"The old railway track has been repaired with a new one, which will take time to adjust," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2016.