Flow of the traffic is severely affected due to the encroachment on both sides of roads, including the main arteries, in most parts of the city especially in densely populated neighbourhoods.
Mushroom growth of illegal stalls, pushcarts and temporary cabins is a common sight in almost all towns not only on roads but on footpaths as well. Consequently, citizens commuting in vehicles and on foot face difficulties. The bleak picture of the city's most important roads leading to residential areas refute the claims made by the chief minister, commissioner, and the KMC authorities, who had formed committees to eliminate encroachments. Indeed, the encroachment are being established under the patronage of local government institutions, KMC and police.
Karachi has become a hotbed of encroachment leading to traffic jams round the clock. Encroachment on the footpaths have forced pedestrians to walk on roads, risking their lives. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab had made big promises to address the issue, but no progress is witnessed anywhere. Encroachment are eliminated in a few places, which re-emerged in few hours. Sources say that local body institutions including DMCs and TMCs, traffic police, and police stations, do not remove encroachment against alleged regular bribes from the encroachers, most of which comprise pushcarts and temporary shops.
City's main roads including University Road, Jail Chowrangi, Old Sabzi Mandi, Hassan Square, Mumtaz Manzil, Safoora Chowrangi, and Mausamiyat, are full of encroachment. The traffic system is already in a mess due to the under-construction Red Line project.
A few minutes of travel from Jail Chowrangi to Safoora takes one to two hours. Similarly, Karimabad, Ayesha Manzil, Liaquatabad No. 10, Teen Hatti, Guru Mandir, Water Pump, Essa Nagri and Sohrab Goth are full of encroachment, where the concept of footpaths has almost disappeared. Encroachment are also rampant on MA Jinnah Road, New MA Jinnah Road and Saddar. At some places, they are at such an extent that even a single person can walk on the footpath.
During rush hours, these roads present worst traffic jams, and citizens get stuck for hours. The situation is also not different in Gulistan-e-Johar, where heavy traffic jams take place due to encroachment near Johar Morr to Johar Chowrangi. On this track, the footpaths have allegedly been sold or given on contract to private persons against regular bribes.
KMC sources say that these encroachment are allegedly established under the patronage of the Anti-Encroachment Department of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the Estate and Enforcement Department of the KDA, assistant commissioners, police stations and traffic police personnel against monthly bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of rupees.
Tariq Road, Bahadurabad and various places are examples where encroachment were eliminated, but returned without any delay.
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