The ever-increasing rush of heavy traffic on roads is resulting in loss of human life
KARACHI: Traffic in Pakistan is getting worse with every passing day especially in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar and Hyderabad. Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan and also one of the most populated in the world. Its population has increased rapidly, giving rise to many social problems.
The ever-increasing rush of heavy traffic on the roads is resulting in heavy loss of human life. One day or the other, people suffer from accidents due to reckless driving. This is due to lack of civic sense in the citizens and violation of traffic rules. Traffic jams, road quarrels, untidiness and damage of public property is also a result of this problem. The government has not done any planning to control this situation in the past two decades.
Keeping the movement of traffic without any problem in a metropolitan city like Karachi is not an easy task. Citizens of Karachi are facing a lot of inconvenience due to the overflow of traffic. With the increasing population the problem of traffic control has become very acute in almost all the big cities in Pakistan. A substantial number of people in Karachi travel in buses, minibuses and coaches, which run on the roads carrying passengers beyond their capacity as many are often seen to be seated on the roofs of these buses. The other main problem with traffic jams in Karachi is that there are so many vehicles on the roads. Yet the ease with which the consumers can now acquire a new vehicle explains the situation well.
Different timings for offices and schools should be scheduled to avoid the morning rush hours. Keeping these in view, the authorities concerned must take necessary measures which would lessen the problem alongside building of new roads, flyovers, and underpasses. The government should also try to improve the performance of the traffic police. All these efforts will hopefully bring about a positive change in the traffic situation of the city.
Aqsa Arshad
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2018.
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