Traffic chaos turns deadly for commuters

With traffic accidents mounting and the death toll climbing, one question lingers in the chaos of the streets — are the Traffic Police and the Traffic Engineering Bureau truly keeping watch? Or are millions in the port city left vulnerable, caught between lawless roads and fading promises of safety?

Both the agencies have been suffering from a severe shortage of qualified staff since the past ten years. Where the shortage of Traffic Police personnel has left many important intersections without wardens, the lack of qualified engineers in the TEB has halted road engineering, designing, planning, lane marking, traffic volume data collection and road safety education.

As a result, not only have traffic jams become an incessant woe irking commuters, but the risk of traffic accidents has also increased manifold, with more than 200 people killed and more than 2,800 others injured in road collisions during the first three months of 2025. In 2024, a total of 500 people died and 4,879 were injured during road collisions. Hence, the mortality rate of road accidents has increased by 39 per cent while the injury rate has increased by 64 per cent during the past one year.

An officer from the Traffic Police revealed, on the condition of anonymity, that the Traffic Police was facing a shortage of 4,000 personnel in Karachi, where 9,500 personnel were required. "There are 106 main highways in the city with more than 900 intersections, crossroads and squares. However, due to the shortage of personnel, only 378 intersections have wardens available. Similarly, out of a total of 137 signals in the city, 66 are non-functional. The most important department in terms of traffic management is the TEB; however, its performance has been unsatisfactory for many years," said the official.

An officer from the TEB, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the bureau gradually fell into disrepair after 2014, when a significant percentage of its qualified engineers and staff retired. "Out of a total of 270 posts, 70 are being staffed, while only 35 officers are actually working for the TEB.

Currently, there is no traffic engineer in the department. Furthermore, the most important wing, Policy Planning and Designing, has been suspended for 8 years, stalling the improvement of roads and intersections, leading to an increased incidence of traffic jams and accidents," explained the officer.

Senior Director TEB Yousuf Iqbal revealed that the TEB managed a total of 95 signals, of which 60 were operational while 35 were non-operational. "Some of the non-operational ones have been temporarily removed due to development works, while most have been stolen by drug addicts. A letter has been written by TEB to the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary Local Government to immediately fill the vacant posts of the TEB and give it the status of an authority under a long-term plan," said Iqbal.

According to Dr Syed Nawaz ul-Huda, a regional planner, the capacity of the Traffic Police and the TEB must be increased by recruiting qualified youth in both these institutions. "Moreover, the DIG Traffic will have to take strict measures against officers taking bribes from heavy vehicle drivers and motorcycle riders. Similarly, strict action should be taken against those who violate traffic rules, especially speeding heavy vehicle drivers and blue Qingqi rickshaw drivers seating a large number of passengers. In order to control traffic accidents, the relevant institutions and civil society should jointly publicize road safety education," said Dr Al-Huda.

SSP Traffic Police Ali Raza opined that people should prioritize road safety. "Almost 70 per cent of the victims of traffic accidents are motorcycle riders and pedestrians. Motorcycle riders must use helmets, rear mirrors, front backlights and indicators for their safety while pedestrians should use pedestrian bridges," urged Raza.