Traffic management: Road outside JPMC made one-way

Ambulances will be allowed if they have their sirens on, says traffic ADIG

KARACHI:

Starting Monday, people were only able to access Jinnah hospital and the adjacent health facilities if they took a left at Regent Plaza on Sharae Faisal or were using the flyover from Lucky Star.

The patch of Rafiqi HJ Road, which houses Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardio Vascular Diseases, National Institute of Child Health, The Kidney Centre and Jinnah Sindh Medical University, has been turned into a one-way street. Cars coming from School Road will not be able to take a left onto Rafiqi road while cars on Korangi Road will not be able to take a left onto Kalapul Road.



The traffic police explained that the decision was made to keep traffic from clogging outside these important health facilities. Sharae Faisal faces abnormal traffic pressure at the Regent Plaza intersection due to traffic coming from Rafiqi road, said Traffic SSP for District South Faisal Abdullah. After it became one-way, we will be able to make Sharae Faisal signal free at this junction, he said.

"Now all commuters and patients have to use Sharae Faisal only," he said, adding that people faced inconvenience on Monday as it was the first day and they were unaware. Abdullah added, however, that ambulances will be allowed to violate the one-way restriction if they have their sirens on.

Traffic DIG Amir Shaikh came up with this idea during a meeting with DCO South Saleem Rajput and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah last week.

Taking the long way

People who frequent this area every day appeared unhappy with the decision. "It's not a good idea and it won't be able to stay this way for long," said Sidra, a fourth-year MBBS student at Jinnah Sindh Medical University. Patients cannot afford the consequences what the traffic police have done, she said.





Nadeem Khan, a retired government official who wanted to go to The Kidney Centre for his wife's dialysis, tried negotiating with the traffic policemen to let his car pass. “How can such a busy road have a single entry point from Sharae Faisal only?" he asked. "I don't think there is any logic and sense prevailing behind this decision." Khan suggested the authorities get rid of encroachments along the road if they are concerned about traffic congestion.

SSP Abdullah was confident that people will get used to the changes in a week or so. "We will eliminate the central median and get rid of the poles lining the road," he said.



Tahir Noorani, the additional traffic DIG, pointed out that the decision was taken on the orders of the chief minister to ensure the safety of these health facilities as well as the army installations nearby. "It was difficult to manage the traffic and heavy vehicles but it is much easier for us now to control one-way traffic."

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2016.