BRTS construction chokes city’s traffic

If the rush hour traffic jams in Karachi were not enough already, the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project and two water hydrants on University Road, have made daily commute even worse for the city’s residents.

Along with various hospitals, schools, colleges, and three universities, University Road also happens to have two water hydrants, which water tankers rely on to fulfil Karachi’s water needs. Hence, the traffic influx due to the educational institutes, hundreds of tankers lining up to get water, and the construction work for the BRTS is proving to be the bane of the residents’ existence as they find themselves stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on a daily basis.

One such resident is Dr Asim Bashir Khan, a resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, who while talking to the Express Tribune expressed his frustrations at the lack of planning by the city’s traffic police. “The international standard is that an alternative route is provided before a project starts but in Karachi they have started digging up the entire route without any warning,” said an irate Dr Khan.

Furthermore, the u-turns are not technically suitable and cause further delays in the already slow moving traffic, as per Dr Khan. “Since no project is ever completed on time, we are not even sure how long we will have to put up with this,” he remarked. According to a site survey by the Express Tribune, the Red Line BRTS project is under construction from Malir Halt to the Numaish and a large part of the excavation process has been done - one lane has been dug up both sides of the road, which creates the traffic bottlenecks.

Furthermore, the construction of stations, underpasses, and flyovers along the project route has led to barricades being put up at every road that turns towards the project site, which has made the road very narrow. Consequently, from Mosmiat bus stop to the old vegetable market, the traffic either moves at a snail’s pace or does not move at all for hours on end. Pir Sajjad, the BRTS Project Director, concurring with the Express Tribune’s survey, said, “the traffic currently chokes at three places: Old Vegetable Market, Jamia Masjid Baitul Mukarram to Urdu University, and Civic Center.”

When asked how long the city’s residents would have to put up with the traffic jams, Sajjad informed that work was in progress to make u-turns and provide an alternate route with the help of the traffic police. “Discussions have been held with Municipal Corporation Karachi to remove encroachments and parking spaces so that the service road is not constantly choked. We are also demolishing the footpaths at various places to widen the main road,” said Sajjad.

On the other hand, Dr Syed Nawaz ul Huda, a regional planner based in the city, was of the view that the government should at least limit the access to the hydrants located at University Road during the project’s construction phase to reduce the traffic jams. “Furthermore, they should consider asking the bi-weekly vegetable market traders to relocate to another area to reduce the influx of traffic on the main road,” he suggested. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic, Ahmad Nawaz, when asked if any of Dr Huda’s suggestions could be implemented, said that if water tankers are indeed parked on University Road then the traffic police was bound to take action against them. “In principle, the Water Board should make such arrangements that citizens get water through taps instead of tankers. This will reduce traffic jams, accidents, and road damage,” said Nawaz. While it remains to be seen whether the Water Board makes such arrangements, Sajjad, the Project Director, informed the Express Tribune that the BRTS project would be completed in August of 2024.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2023.