Faisalabad road becomes 'death trap'

Poor design, multiple entrances blamed as officials plan overhaul

JARANWALA:

In October, Canal Road saw 129 traffic accidents, resulting in three fatalities and numerous severe injuries.

Architects, urban planners and local officials are calling for immediate action, citing faulty road design as the primary reason for the increasing incidents.

Nadeem Khurshid, a town planner with the Concerned Citizens Alliance, voiced deep concern, labelling Canal Road as a "death trap" due to poor design and inadequate infrastructure.

"Urban roads are often termed death traps when they exhibit conditions that pose serious dangers to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists," he said, pointing out that Canal Road is now one of those high-risk areas.

Khurshid said the road was designed by the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) and has become a critical hazard due to poor planning and execution.

Data from Rescue 1122 indicates that in addition to the 129 recorded accidents on Canal Road, an alarming 619 incidents were reported around bus stops, ramps and entrances along the same stretch.

Accidents were also common at specific intersections such as Thatha Pull (41 accidents), Paipan Wala Pull (32), and Kashmir Pull (25), as well as other high-risk points like Char Chak Chowk, Novelty Pull and Mandi Morr.

Mehar Muhammad Ayub, chief engineer at FDA, acknowledged that 21 entrances were built to provide direct access to Canal Road from adjacent housing colonies.

This original design has since made the road difficult to manage.

"We handed over Canal Road to the Metropolitan Corporation (MC) for maintenance, but the sheer volume of traffic and multiple access points have created serious management challenges," Ayub explained.

Chief Officer Muhammad Zubair Watto noted that the deputy commissioner has taken notice of the alarming rise in accidents.

"We are coordinating with all relevant departments to come up with a comprehensive action plan, which we expect to finalize within the next few days," he stated.

An anonymous former town planner with the MC pointed to a deeper issue of fragmented oversight.

"No single department has full ownership of Canal Road, which has led to a lack of accountability and systematic mismanagement. Without clear jurisdiction, regulatory frameworks are often bypassed," he remarked.

Local architect Haris Karim expressed particular concern about the area near Faisal Hospital, which he described as "extremely dangerous," noting that a man lost his life there around 18 months ago.

"Almost all vehicles coming from Chen One Road take the wrong lane to access the west Canal Road, putting everyone at risk," Karim said, adding that the junctions and entry points should be closed according to the original design.

Karim also lamented the behaviour of road users, calling it a "national character flaw" to disregard basic traffic rules, often at the expense of safety.

Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Nadeem Nasir has ordered an emergency meeting with relevant departments to devise an immediate action plan.

"The illegal ramps and unauthorised entrances will soon be closed and demolished to ensure smooth traffic flow. Any officials found negligent in their duties will be held accountable," Nasir assured.