The unabated killing of people by speeding dumpers driven by untrained and often intoxicated drivers has sent shockwaves across the government as well as political and social circles.
Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla has ordered strict action against unregistered dumpers in the city.
The Secretary Excise and Taxation conducted a meeting to consider rising incidents of death and injury due to speeding dumpers; many of these were found to be unregistered.
Chawla addressing the meeting said drivers in speeding dumpers were killing people almost every day in the metropolis.
He said that the excise department will collaborate with the traffic police to impound unregistered dumpers. The meeting concurred to crackdown on illegal dumpers.
Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori called for the implementation of timings fixed for heavy traffic in the city. Heavy traffic is allowed in city limits only from 12am to 7am, however dumpers, tankers and trucks continue to ply on the roads round the clock particularly during rush hours. Tessori pushed for imposing the curfew for heavy traffic in the city.
Roads or death traps
Eleven people killed in 24 hours due to bus truck and dumper collisions should be enough to wake up the authorities, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan said. MQM-P's parliamentary leader and his deputy in the Sindh Assembly have expressed serious concern over the alarming number of traffic accidents in the metropolis, where 11 people lost their lives in various incidents within the last 24 hours.
In a statement issued on Thursday, MQM-P Parliamentary Leader Iftikhar Alam condemned the "reckless actions of the dumper mafia" and illegal trailer operating in the city. "Their unchecked movements have become a huge threat to public safety," he added.
Alam criticised the Sindh government and the Traffic Police for their lack of action, stating that they are merely passive observers, which has contributed to the rising accident rate.
Alam called for the strict enforcement of designated operating hours for dumpers and trailers to enhance the safety of citizens on the roads.
Meanwhile MQM-P Deputy Parliamentary Leader Taha Ahmed Khan strongly criticised the Sindh government for its "failure to ensure road safety," blaming its incompetence for the rising death toll on the city's roads.
"Karachi's roads have become death traps! Uncontrolled dumpers are claiming innocent liveswho is responsible?" questioned Taha Ahmed Khan. He condemned the Sindh government's 15-year-long tenure, arguing that despite ruling for over a decade, it has failed to provide even basic road safety measures for citizens.
He urged the government to immediately enforce time restrictions on heavy traffic and ensure that large vehicles are barred from the city's main roads during peak hours. The MQM-P leader stressed the need for stricter laws to regulate heavy vehicles and prevent further tragedies. "The MQM-P stands with the victims and demands immediate action to control heavy traffic in Karachi," he asserted.
Mayor writes to top cop
Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab in a letter addressed to the AIG Karachi police, said the rising number of fatal accidents are unacceptable and require immediate action from all relevant civic agencies.
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