No let-up in traffic woes as protest sit-ins persist

KARACHI:

The metropolitan city remained gridlocked on Sunday as protest sit-ins against the Kurram situation continued at 12 locations across the city.

The ongoing protests have inconvenienced commuters, with short commutes now taking hours to complete. Karachiites appealed to the government to resolve the issue, citing the growing traffic woes which have paralysed their daily life.

The sit-ins, which have been continuing for past several days, have turned routine commutes into nightmares testing the patience and endurance of motorists.

Despite traffic police efforts to redirect vehicles to alternative routes, the city remains crippled by bottlenecks.

Heavy goods transport vehicles have also been affected, disrupting the movement of goods and complicating business operations.

While the weekly holiday on Sunday reduced overall traffic, the impact of the sit-ins was still widely felt. Major thoroughfares such as MA Jinnah Road, Sharae Faisal, and University Road remained gridlocked, leaving many motorists stranded or facing long delays.

According to the Karachi Traffic Police, the areas worst affected by traffic disruptions include MA Jinnah Road, Sharae Faisal, Kamran Chowrangi, Abul Hassan Isfahani Road, Five Star Chowrangi, University Road, KDA Flats, Ancholi, Sohrab Goth, Nazimabad, Power House Chowrangi, Main Ayesha Manzil, Korangi No. 2.5 and Landhi.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the traffic police urged people to avoid traveling to areas affected by the sit-ins and to exercise patience.

Commuters are encouraged to use the Traffic Helpline (1915) to get updates on road conditions and plan alternative routes, he added.

The continuing protests have left Karachiites frustrated and desperate for relief. They have called on the government to take immediate steps to resolve the situation.