Traffic Engineering Bureau at the verge of collapse

With no funds disbursed for the current year, the historical institution is gradually being pushed into a state of obl

KARACHI:

Conventions of governance have proven that strengthening existing state institutions is the only way to bring lasting stability in any metropolitan hub. In the country's largest city, Karachi, however, this wisdom appears to fall on deaf ears as model institutions like the Traffic Engineering Bureau (TEB) enter a gradual process of deliberate degradation.

Over the past several years, the TEB, which historically managed tasks related to road engineering, designing, planning, lane marking, traffic volume data collection and road safety education, has been in a state of severe deterioration due to a lack of funds. Now, the level of neglect has reached a point where even the release of funds for the repair of traffic signals is not being approved.

According to details obtained by the Express Tribune, traffic signals at 40 key locations including Clifton, Old Race Course, Hoshang Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, New Karachi, Godhra, Macchi Mor, Yaseenabad, Jama Cloth, Dow Medical University, Lighthouse, Denso Hall, Aram Bagh, Court Road, Akbar Road, Singer Chowrangi, Saddar, Zainab Market, Paradise Hotel, and Saddar Dawakhana have been dysfunctional for the past eight months.

An officer from the TEB, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that a yearly budget of approximately Rs35 million was allocated for the repair of traffic signals however, not a single rupee had been paid so far, leading to significant challenges in major repair work.

"Currently, the outstanding dues of the contractor have reached Rs18 million. Other wings of the TEB have been deteriorating due to staff retirements and a lack of new recruitments. As a result, key functions like road engineering, designing, planning, lane marking, road safety education, and others have come to a halt. Currently, only the traffic signals wing is operational however, it now appears that even this wing is being phased out," lamented the official from TEB, which is partly funded by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA).

Assistant Commissioner Hazim Bangwar stated that in a meeting held on April 30th, it was decided that the repair and maintenance of traffic signs, zebra crossings, lane markings, and traffic signals would now fall under the supervision of the Commissioner Karachi. "Engineers from the Sindh government will be taken on board for the repair of signals and the services of the TEB will not be utilized," said Bangwar.

In response, the Senior Director of the TEB sent a letter to the Chairman of the Planning Department, the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner Karachi, and other senior officials, asserting that the TEB, operating under the KDA, was the legally authorized and technically competent body for planning, implementing, maintaining, and improving traffic signals and related infrastructure in Karachi.

In this regard, Dr Syed Nawaz-ul-Huda, a regional planner, commented that the TEB was once a model institution that is now being deliberately destroyed. "Development projects and even routine repair work in the city have been made so complex and opaque that no investigation agency can easily audit them. The Commissioner Karachi has not been able to fulfil even his basic responsibilities, including price control. How can he be expected to handle technically complex tasks like traffic signal management, in which he has no experience? It would be better to strengthen the TEB and release its funds. It seems that a deliberate conspiracy in underway to destroy Karachi since its exemplary institutions are being intentionally dismantled; a matter that is highly condemnable," criticized Dr Al-Huda.

Responding to the backlash, KDA's Director of Finance, Shakeel Siddiqui, revealed that the KDA too was facing a shortfall of Rs90 million hence it was unable to release funds for signal repairs to the TEB.