Bumper-to-bumper: Redesigning intersections can resolve Karachi’s traffic woes, says Thebo

Traffic AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo determined to make dept more efficient.

KARACHI:

The new traffic chief in Karachi has found solutions for Karachi’s traffic woes: redesign intersections and hire more traffic policemen.

In an interview with The Express Tribune at his office, Traffic Police AIG Ghulam Qadir Thebo insisted these two steps will improve the city’s traffic flow and overcome clogs on the existing road networks. The permanent solutions to traffic problems will be redesigned intersections, presence of mass transit and completion of the Lyari Expressway, he said. “Our roads and intersections are not engineered for smooth traffic flow and they create clogs. There is a need to redesign them.”

According to Thebo, hiring more traffic policemen will also help the department work more efficiently. Right now, the traffic department has 3,340 policemen. In each of the two shifts, there are 1,600 men on duty and they manage nearly 3.6 million vehicles on the 7,860-kilometre-long roads in the city, said Thebo.

The AIG felt that the department can improve traffic management if an extra 5,000 men are hired, following the instructions of the Supreme Court during the Karachi violence case proceedings. Thebo pointed out that the city has a total of 180 traffic signals, which are administered by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the various cantonments, which are also insufficient for a big city, such as Karachi.



The traffic department is working on removing illegal parking spots from the roadsides and have written to the KMC about such parking that obstructs traffic, he assured.

Drive against illegal vehicles

Talking about the department’s drive with NGO Citizens Trust Against Crime, which entails a crackdown against illegal private vehicles, Thebo explained that the drive is currently focusing on illegal private vehicles because they are used in criminal activities. “We want to impose the rule of law, which holds everyone equal,” he said. “We have started from the rich and influential people and, later on, we will crackdown against public transport throughout the city.”

Thebo said that public transport vehicles are checked by the traffic police more often but this is the first time that private vehicles - especially those belonging to prominent personalities, such as politicians and businessmen - are being checked. “We don’t have a problem with anyone in particular,” Thebo clarified. “We just want people to legalise their cars and get proper licences. If they do so, we will not bother them.”

Greasing palms

Thebo admitted that traffic policemen are notorious for charging bribes but he assured that their vigilance teams are keeping an eye on such elements, especially in the driving licence branch, vehicle fitness centre and personnel at roadside pickets. Strict action is being taken against those involved, he said.

Future plans

Thebo plans to establish two more licence branches in districts Malir and West, bringing the total number of branches where you can get your licence to five. All these branches will be linked to the ones in Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas. “We are trying to complete this project by the end of this year so that anyone can get their driving licence at any of these five cities,” he said. “We are short of funds, which is why the project is getting delayed.”

The traffic department will also start a drive to issue learners’ driving licences on the roads. “For this, we will setup camps on the roads.” The department is also planning on changing the traffic police uniforms to make them more climate-friendly.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2013.